


Trust

by Anneliza



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Betrayal, Body Horror, Consensual Kidnapping, Deception, Double Kidnapping, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Healing, Hiding the truth, Implied/Referenced Torture, Imprisonment, Inappropriate Parenting, Kidnapping, Manipulation, Misplaced Trust, Physical Abuse, Reverse Stockholm Syndrome, Torture, Villain Cassandra, Whump, enslavement, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 38,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24339712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anneliza/pseuds/Anneliza
Summary: Cassandra seeks Varian shortly after she stole the Moonstone so that she can use his intellectual gifts. Lucky for her, no one seems to be telling him what happened at the Dark Kingdom and he still sees her as the wise and trusted person he always knew. Utilizing that image of herself, she takes him for herself while under the guise of protection.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 449
Kudos: 248





	1. A visit from an old friend

Things were starting to turn around for Varian. He had been officially pardoned of his attack on Corona and his attempted attack with the Saporians just days ago. Rapunzel had finally kept her promise to free his father who was alive and unharmed after all the months he had been trapped. She had even graciously gifted him his own private workspace and the important task of translating the Demanitus scroll, though she hadn’t told him the purpose of that. Not yet anyway, she had said she would soon though. They just had to stabilize the kingdom and adjust to being the temporary queen while her parents recovered which was a task he had also been given.

Days seemed to fly by as he jumped back and forth between working on a memory cure and translating the scroll. It was enthralling work and he loved every moment of it. The way it caused him to push his own intellect to the limit and learn more and more to find answers was intoxicating. And while he had his frequent failures with both, each one pushed him to work harder.

Almost everything was wonderful but one thing still bothered him.

The group that had returned to Corona was missing one person; Cassandra. He had no idea why she had not returned with them. No one seemed willing to tell him and whenever he brought it up directly, a flash of pain would cross Rapunzel’s face before the subject was changed abruptly. The refusal to talk about it made dozens of theories circulate inside his already overactive mind.

_Had she died?_

_Had she betrayed them?_

_Had she decided to go on her own path?_

But the one that made him pause in despair every time was the worry that she had not returned because of him. That he had annoyed her too much or she was fearful to be in his presence since he had harmed her a year ago. Every time the idea that the warrior hadn’t returned because of him popped up, a vision of Rapunzel’s hurt would follow it. He was worried that Cassandra’s disappearance was the reason that Rapunzel was still being secretive and that he was still causing them both pain.

Those thoughts were never pleasant and each time he was pulled down that path, he was left shaky and breathless. He would slowly snap out of it then launch himself back into his work. If he managed to finish his projects, neither would be hurting anymore and he would be able to forgive himself.

Time passed quickly as he tried his best to be useful. Every three days he returned home to visit his father and spend the day with him before leaving for his lab again. No one visited him and unless he sought someone out, his trips to see his father were the only times that he saw or interacted with other people which made it that much more startling when the door to his lab was suddenly pushed open and he heard footsteps making their way towards him.

Shocked, he turned to face the stairs and peer through the darkness to determine who had come to visit him.

Rapunzel?

Possible, but not likely since she was so busy trying to manage the kingdom.

Eugene?

Slightly more probable but he was also rather busy with his new position.

His dad?

Very unlikely. He had visited the day before and he hadn’t left anything behind that his father would feel the need to return.

He continued to run through his mental list until the person reached the bottom of the stairs and he gasped, eyes widening in surprise.

“Cassandra?” he whispered, too caught off guard to say anything else.

She stopped.

“Hello, Varian.”

A bright smile broke out across Varian’s face before he ran to his missing friend, hugging her tightly. Questions about her new appearance popped into his head but he pushed them aside for the moment, just wanting to enjoy seeing her again.

“Cass!” he yelled, relieved tears starting to roll down his cheeks. “I was so worried about you!” He pulled back to quickly check her for injuries. “Are you alright?! Where have you been?!”

A quiet laugh reached his ears and his head shot up to see a smile of her own on her face.

“Calm down. I’m fine.” Taking a step back, she continued, “I was off on a confidential mission for the princess. It took longer than I had been expecting but I am finally finished with it.”

Excited, the boy asked, “What was it?”

Instead of answering, Cassandra smirked and pressed a finger against her lips.

“Can’t tell. Confidential, remember?”

“Right. Sorry.”

“But,” she began, Varian listening intently to her every word. “I can tell you that I have a new mission now. And it concerns you.”

“Really?!” he gasped, bouncing excitedly on his heels.

Laughing quietly at his eagerness, Cassandra leaned down and ruffled his hair.

“Yes, really.” Suddenly her face darkened and she looked around before she murmured, “Rapunzel gave me another top secret mission. While you have been down here, the Saporians escaped and are looking for you.” The alchemist’s face drained of color and he also peered around frantically. He knew they still wanted their revenge against him and had lost sleep over that fact more nights than he would like to recount. “She asked that I take you somewhere safe and protect you until you finish your work. I have new abilities that will allow me to protect you better than she or the guards can right now.” She gestured to her new armor and the stone that was gleaming on her chest. “Not only that, but no one in the kingdom is aware of my return so they would never think to look for you with me.” Her eyes locked onto his with a deadly serious look in them. “Do you want to come with me? We would need to take everything with us and clean up quickly so it looks like you were never here.”

Staring into her blue eyes made Varian slightly nervous but he wasn’t sure if it was because of the change he didn’t know much about or something else nudging him at the back of his mind. But even with her new appearance, he still trusted her.

“Yes.”

Nodding, she stood up and pulled a burlap sack off her shoulder and handed it to him.

“I brought this because I didn’t think all of your supplies would fit in just your bag.”

Another smile appeared on Varian’s face. Cassandra was so smart. He knew he would be safe with her. He grabbed the bag and hurried around the room, carefully storing his equipment inside while the warrior cleaned his equations and theories off the wall.

“Ready!” he called twenty minutes later, slipping his bag onto his back. Having just finished wiping the last of his chalk off the wall, Cassandra nodded and moved to his side.

“Go wait at the top of the stairs. I need to do a final check. If anyone opens the door, yell and I will be there in a moment.”

The giddy feeling from seeing his old friend again evaporated at the reminder of the reason she was there. Cass hadn’t come to see him for a friendly visit, she was there to protect him from people who wanted to hurt him. He needed to remember that.

Giving a silent nod in consent, he hurried up the stairs, trembling slightly.

Once the boy was out of sight, a smirk crossed Cassandra’s lips. Still so easy to fool and trusting to a fault. This was going to be easier than she had planned. She pulled a piece of chalk from the bag and quickly wrote a message on the wall before hefting the heavy sack over her shoulder and rejoining Varian.

She gave him a reassuring smile before pushing the door open and leading him out.

As the door closed, the light swept across the writing on the wall.

_Moved to a safer location_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's gone, led out by pretty words and lies.


	2. A voluntary kidnapping

The pair walked for several hours in silence. As soon as they had stepped outside the lab, Cassandra had warned him to keep quiet so no one noticed them. A cloak was wrapped around his shoulders and he watched Cassandra don one herself, drawing the hood which he was quick to copy. She didn’t tell them where they were going as a security precaution, moving away from town swiftly instead. Varian couldn’t help looking around himself every few minutes but seeing Cassandra’s back in front of him calmed his nerves. She would protect him, no matter what happened and he was grateful for her presence.

Finally, they stopped in a grove and Cassandra turned to him. The area was secluded and the only entrance into the grove was the hidden opening they had walked through. Walls surrounded them on each side and it seemed that the spot had once been the site of another’s home if he was assuming correctly from the broken boards and smashed items at his feet. He wondered who would have lived in such a place. It was quite picturesque and the waterfall and river was a wonderful source of fresh water but it was quite far from any farms or markets. Cassandra’s voice drew his gaze back to her.

“We’ll rest here for the night.” She pulled the bag containing his alchemical supplies from her shoulder and set it on the ground next to her, careful of the sharp rocks and debris strewn about the area. From behind a large, beautifully painted plank, she grabbed a small satchel and tossed it to the boy. “Here. You must be starving after that walk. You need to take care of yourself to keep up your strength.”

Reaching into the bag, Varian pulled out some pieces of bread, some nuts, and a large canteen of fresh water before dropping heavily to the ground. He downed the food and water after watching Cassandra reveal her own bag.

“Thanks, Cass,” he whispered with a relieved smile before they lapsed back into silence.

The warrior spoke suddenly, voice serious and eyes focused on him.

“Varian, have you translated the scroll yet or do you need something to help you? If you need something, let me know now so that I can start tracking it down in the morning. It is imperative that you remain here.”

Confused, Varian played with the hem of his apron as doubt swam in his mind.

“Why do you want the translation?” he asked quietly, looking away. “And why do I have to stay here?”

Leaning forward, Cassandra placed a hand on his busy ones, steadying them.

“I don’t want to remind you to scare you, but the Saporians are out there looking for you. If you travel around, there is a bigger chance that they will find you than if you stay here. And for your other question, well, you deserve to know.” With a deep sigh, the warrior stood up and indicated her new appearance. Varian managed to catch a vulnerable look on her face before she turned away. “Things went…wrong when we reached the Moonstone…” A faraway look entered her eyes. “Rapunzel was in danger so I had to do something. My duty has always been to protect and take care of her and I was forced to once again. On our travels, we learned that if Rapunzel touched the Moonstone while still in possession of the Sundrop, it would destroy her. We knew this, we _both_ knew this but when the time came, when we were standing in front of it, something overcame her and she tried to grab it.” Cassandra flinched. “The look in her eyes was so cold, so empty. She had no idea what she was doing so before she could touch it, I grabbed it. It hurt, it hurt _so bad,_ but I had to protect her.” She paused, seemingly trying to collect herself. “When she came back to herself, Rapunzel was so grateful. She asked me to-” She stopped and glanced at Varian. “No. I need to tell you, confidential or not. Rapunzel will understand.” Varian scooted closer, watching her intently and overjoyed to be told such important and secret information. “The reason I was delayed in returning to Corona was that I needed to learn to control the Moonstone so that it wouldn’t try to corrupt Rapunzel again. I have been practicing for weeks but I recently learned that the power won’t be completely under control unless I recite the incantation for the Moonstone.” Cassandra stepped closer, meeting Varian’s eyes. “Do you know it? With that I can protect both you and Raps.”

As Cassandra finished her explanation, Varian was amazed by everything she had done for Rapunzel. She had truly gone out of her way to protect her. In the past year, Cassandra had become a martyr for the impulsive princess while he had only continued to make mistakes and hurt people. The least Varian could do to help was teach her the third incantation. That would make her struggle the slightest bit easier.

Feeling confident that he was doing the right thing for the first time in months, he slowly recited the incantation.

“Thank you, Varian,” Cassandra replied when he finished, smiling and ruffling his hair. “Now step back so I can use it and everyone will be safe.” Following her instruction, Varian walked back a few paces and watched as she created a small cottage from the black rocks, a dark hole where a door would have been on a normal home. “Done. Now you will be safe. No one can break the rocks and get to you.”

At her words, Varian felt a weight lift from his chest that he hadn’t realized he was carrying. The prospect of safety from vengeful Saporians and an ability to correct his past mistakes made him nearly sprint for the structure but he remained where he was. After grabbing both of their bags, Cassandra started forward and he followed quickly, smiling brightly and walking in behind her before the opening sealed itself behind them.

He was safe as long as Cassandra was by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Safe for now?


	3. All is not as it seems

“These will be your chambers,” Cassandra explained as she indicated a room through an archway to the left of the entrance they had walked through moments previously. “I haven’t learned a way to create doors yet,” she apologized as she rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably. “But since nothing can break through the rocks, you will be safe either way. And you aren’t a prisoner, you’re free to do as you want within this cottage so I’m not going to close up your room.” Pointing away from the archway, she continued, “My chambers are that way. I will be closing my room when needed, however, so if you need me just knock and I’ll let you in.”

She led him through the arch and let him look around the large room. There was a desk along one wall with a chair in front of it and towering bookshelves taking up the rest of the wall. The shelves were bare and waiting desperately to be filled. Opposite the desk was a large bed with a small table beside it. Another archway at the end of the room seemed to lead to a washroom of sorts. Everything was constructed from the black rocks which seemed to sparkle in the faint light coming through the window set high into the wall.

“I am aware that the rocks are not very comfortable,” the warrior’s voice was coming from his right and he looked over to see her pulling blankets and pillows out of one of the bags she had set on the ground. “These will make it a bit more tolerable though.” She handed him the items quickly. “You should get some rest. In the morning I will show you around some more.”

Exhaustion suddenly settled deep in his chest. With everything happening so quickly, he hadn’t realized how much the long trek had taken from him. Accepting the supplies, Varian thanked her and started throwing them onto the bed, keen to lay down. As he did so, Cassandra left the room quietly after setting his small bag on top of the desk.

Walking across the small cottage to the chambers she had designed for herself, she considered how well things were going so far. To her surprise, Varian had come with her willingly and almost eagerly. She had not planned on that and had been expecting to have to use force, possibly knock him out and shove him into the bag she had brought. As they had walked, he had stayed completely silent. She had been waiting for him to start chattering in her ear the moment they stepped into the woods but no. Not even a whimper had escaped him as he had tripped in the dark and landed on a stone rather hard. Instead, he had looked around him like a scared child and stayed close to her. Had no one decided to clue him in on what had happened? Had they forgotten to tell him? Had they not told him on purpose?

It didn’t make sense to her. Varian was a smart kid, too smart and mouthy for his own good. Rapunzel should have known that he could be a target in their fight, an easy target too if you caught him unaware. Without access to alchemy, he was defenseless. He should have been informed but he wasn’t. That was clear when she told her story to him and he believed every word, incredibly thirsty for any information about her. It seemed his fondness for her had yet to fully subside and that was yet another weakness she could exploit. His fear of the Saporians had been an easy wound to pick at once she had learned of the events. She knew it would be of use to her but she hadn’t known just _how much_ use it was going to be until she had tested it. The way his face had paled and his breathing had quickened slightly had informed her that this fake threat would do wonders for keeping him under control. And he proved as much during their walk.

All she had to do was continue to hold the threat of attack over his head while acting sympathetic and worried about his well-being and he would do anything she asked. He had always been easy to play but this was almost ridiculous. A sob story and he was practically begging to help her. For a genius, he sure could be stupid.

Pausing, she looked over her shoulder to where Varian’s room was, the boy most likely already asleep. If she was going to continue to keep up this charade, she would need to seem like the Cassandra he remembered, whether that was still her or not. To do so, she would need to be kind to him constantly so he didn’t figure out he was there for her own purpose rather than his. Thinking on her next step, she decided she would run out in the morning for supplies and to catch something Varian would appreciate. He needed it or he would be moody and if someone else found it first, they might realize he was missing far sooner than she wanted.

Satisfied with her decision, she allowed a smirk to cross her face as she resumed walking. She stopped at the room that would be Varian’s new lab long enough to set the burlap sack inside. She had plenty of plans that she would give him in the morning and she couldn’t wait to see him scurrying around inside, eager to please. Eager to _help_. He would create plenty of weapons for her that she would be able to use in her fight against Rapunzel.

No, not just her fight anymore. Now it was _their_ fight. The alchemist would have no idea of his aid or what his inventions would be being used for but he would still be a critical player in the war. He would be happy and blissfully unaware. And even if he did find out and resisted, she could easily make him reconsider. After all, once a villain, always a villain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a look into Cassandra's mind and a glimpse of her thoughts on all this.


	4. Home sweet home

The sun had risen several hours ago and Varian had been busy. He had already unpacked the books from his bag and carefully placed them on the shelves in his room as well as a few small trinkets that had been stored inside as well. A glass bird from Rapunzel, a small dagger from Eugene, and a thick and well used journal from his father now all rested delicately between the many books. His bed was made and presentable and he had stored his bag underneath it for the time being. In all the time he had been working, he hadn’t heard a sound from the other resident of the small cottage. Curious, he had attempted to locate where Cassandra was and found an empty bedroom that he had assumed was hers. What he hadn’t found was the woman in question.

Not sure what to do, he had returned to his own room and started journaling in a new notebook. So much had happened the previous day and he didn’t want to forget any of it so he wrote about the entire day, including every detail and word said between the two meticulously.

He knew that Cassandra had said that he was free to wander but it didn’t seem right to do so until after he had received the tour she had spoken of the night before.

Eventually, he heard the sound of rocks sliding against each other and hurried out to wait by the entrance. Light shone into the dark room around the form of the one he had been waiting for all morning.

“Cass!” he greeted cheerfully. He wondered where she had been all morning but pushed it aside.

“Good morning, Varian,” she replied warmly, dragging a heavy bag inside. “I brought supplies. Grab a bag.” Wanting to help, he rushed forward and grabbed one of the many bags sitting just outside the cottage. He quickly helped drag them in as well before the opening sealed. “Thanks. Come on, they go in the kitchen.” Once again, he followed the warrior. This time it was down a hall and into another dark room where he tossed the bags onto what appeared to be a table. From inside he pulled out a variety of fruits and nuts as well as other fresh food. It was all soon stored safely on shelves in the room where it was easily accessible. “One more thing.”

Pulling the last bag off of her back, Cassandra opened it carefully and something gray and furry flew at him. Surprised, Varian stumbled back but caught the object without thinking. He peered down at it and a wide grin grew on his face.

“Ruddiger!” he cried happily, stroking the fur of his loyal companion. He hadn’t realized how much he was longing to see the raccoon or how complete things felt now that he was back. “I missed you, bud!”

“I thought you might want him with you,” Cassandra explained, tossing the now empty bag onto the table as well. “He was looking for you and wanted to come with me to find you.” She smiled. “But I believe I told you that I would show you around today.”

“Thanks, Cass!”

Nodding in excitement, Varian let the raccoon climb onto his shoulders and stepped beside Cassandra. She walked through the small cottage and explained what the few rooms were intended for which he greatly appreciated. With everything composed of the black rocks, it was rather dark even with the thin windows they encountered frequently. Not only that, but it was difficult to tell what each piece in a room was meant for when it all blended together. The cottage had only a few rooms: chambers for both residents with washrooms, a kitchen, and the lab Varian was currently exploring.

There was plenty of space for him to work on whatever he decided and places for him to store his supplies with care. The previous night Cassandra had brought the bag he had packed before their sudden trip into this room for him. He was grateful once again, he knew he wouldn’t have been able to drag the heavy bag all the way to the room. At least not with everything still in one piece afterward.

Quickly emptying the bag, he placed everything where he thought best for his workspace before stepping back and looking around him happily once more. He could already feel his head filling with dozens of ideas he wanted to try out. Would he be allowed to experiment on the black rocks?

An image of his dad in the amber flashed before his eyes and he flinched.

“I wish my dad could see me now,” he whispered, the smile slipping off his face into a scowl. “Trying to do good to fix everything I’ve done wrong. But I guess he won’t be able to know what I’m doing until it’s all over.”

Walking closer, Cassandra put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“He would be proud of you,” she responded sincerely. “He would know that you were doing the right thing.” A thought crossed her mind suddenly. “And you can let him know a little. Enough to keep him from worrying.”

Confused, the alchemist looked up at her.

“How?”

“You can write him a letter. You can tell him how you’re working on a very important, top secret job for Corona and that you will be away for a while until it is finished.”

“Great idea!” he cheered, hurrying off to his chambers to write the letter.

Watching him go, Cassandra grinned.

Perfect.

Quirin was the only one that Varian saw consistently and the only one who would notice he was missing. At least for a few weeks. She doubted that Rapunzel or Eugene checked in on him very often but when they finally would, they would see the message she had left on the wall and let the subject drop.

Well, until she let them know about his disappearance herself by attacking Corona directly with the weapons he would create for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Quirin won't have to worry about his son not coming to visit anymore. He'll know he was doing something for the good of Corona. Right?


	5. Mail call

Once again Cassandra had left the cottage, this time to deliver his letter to his dad. Before she left, she had told Varian that she would be back soon and he was free to do as he pleased while she was gone. He had spent a few hours happily experimenting with an idea he had thought of the night before. His journal had new sketches for his design and equations hastily written down while he was trying to figure out if he could bring fresh water into the cottage without creating a hole that someone could slip through. Each morning, Cassandra would gather water from the lake and that was all they had access to for the rest of the day. If he was successful, the water would come to them whenever they wanted. There were two issues holding him back, the bigger being a way to test his idea. Without a trial, he wouldn’t be able to accurately calculate the force needed to pull the water through the pneumatic pipe. When Cassandra returned, he would have to ask her to run the end of the pipe down to the edge of the lake.

Deciding to take a break for lunch, he stepped out to make himself a quick sandwich. He was planning on just a short break before jumping back into his work. Behind him, he heard the telltale sounds of the warrior in question returning. Grabbing an orange instead, he headed toward the sound, Ruddiger at his side.

“I’m back!” she called before noticing him standing only feet away. “Oh. You’re here.”

As he reached Cassandra, he saw something sparkling from her around her neck. Looking closer, he realized that the object was familiar to him. In fact, he had made it.

“You actually kept that?” he asked, surprise clear in his quiet voice.

“Hmm?” She peered at where he was staring and smiled. “Oh this?” She carefully grasped the object and held it out. “Of course I did. You made it for me after all.” Varian couldn’t stop staring at the old necklace hanging around her neck. It seemed well cared for as it still shone as brightly as when he had first given it to her. “I took it with me when Raps and I left to go on our journey. It reminded me of you and let me hope that you were getting the help that the king and queen had said. I wanted my friend to come back to himself and remember who he actually was.”

The cheerful mood dropped suddenly as the alchemist looked away.

“You mean a stupid kid that is only good at making mistakes and hurting people?”

Crouching down, Cassandra met his gaze.

“No. It reminded me of a goofy kid who wanted to help anyway he could. One who never let his mistakes hold him back.”

Grateful, Varian smiled back at her.

“Thanks, Cass.”

Standing up, Cassandra continued, “Speaking of wanting to help, I brought you a letter from Raps about the Saporians.” She pulled two pieces of paper out of her bag, one a tightly rolled scroll and the other a wanted poster of Andrew. “They still haven’t been found and have begun their attack on Corona. Raps and the others are doing everything they can to hold them off but it isn’t going to last long.” Holding out the rolled paper she quietly said, “She asked me to give you this.”

Varian nearly snatched the paper out of her hands, unrolling it quickly.

_Varian,_

_I hope Cass is keeping you safe. She got you out just in time. The Saporians have been looking for you since you left and have grown angry that they can’t find you. They launched a full attack on Corona which we weren’t prepared for. They are using tricks they learned from you so the only way we can fight back is with your inventions. I beg you, Varian, please make anything you can. Cass knows how to sneak them to me no matter what they are. You are our most valuable resource right now so she still has to keep you safe otherwise I would demand she drag you back here to help._

_I wish I could hear how you’re doing but the risk of sending letters back and forth is too great. Cass will have to keep me informed when she brings your work._

_Stay safe._

_Love,_

_Rapunzel_

Realizing just how much his help was needed, Varian quickly thanked Cassandra again and raced back to his lab to start working. Cassandra watched him run off, her smile morphing into a smirk. She stepped back outside the cottage and closed the opening.

“He is finally doing his job. It certainly took long enough.”

The warrior leaned back against the wall.

“No,” a voice murmured from beside her. “He needed to be coddled for a while so he would see his work as crucial and that he is safe here. That you only have the best in mind for him.”

Cassandra glanced at the girl beside her out of the corner of her eye.

“You laid it on thick by the way. I wouldn’t have believed that letter was from Rapunzel if I had gotten it. The kid must never have gotten a letter from her.” She scoffed. “It was pure luck that I found that old poster of Andrew.”

“I only did what was necessary. He now sees his role and soon he’ll see his potential. You could have written it if you so wished but only one of us is able to perfectly copy the handwriting of anyone once they’ve seen it.” She paused before continuing. “Oh, and it seems it was a good idea that you broke into the castle to steal that ugly relic.”

Starting to walk away from the small girl, Cassandra gently touched the necklace. It might not have been very pretty but it was valuable, to both of them. Getting it back had been a wonderful bargaining tool. Frustrated, she pulled the sword off her back and swung at the large plank she had stored her supplies behind a few days ago. It shattered upon contact.

The girl watched her practice with a grin.

Things were just getting started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There she is.
> 
> Also, is it just me or are apples the be all, end all in this universe? They're freaking everywhere.


	6. Worry

Two weeks had passed since Varian left his lab to join Cassandra in the black rock cottage. After receiving Rapunzel’s letter, he had thrown himself into work. He knew how determined the Saporians were to destroy Corona and he wasn’t going to let them. Not if he had anything to say about it. Or… _do_ about it anyway…

Several alchemical compounds had been mixed and poured carefully into glass orbs. Some were meant to stun, others to trap, and quite a few even left the target with severe burns. As he created each orb, he carefully stored it in a small, wooden crate where it wouldn’t be disturbed during transit. Each type of orb was given its own crate and inside was a paper that explained the effects of the orbs and how volatile they were. He was also in the middle of constructing a few trebuchets and some small cannons that could fire his mixtures over longer distances. Quite a few times he had considered crafting another automaton or even an airship but he pushed the thought aside each time. He didn’t want to create something so dangerous unless absolutely necessary. Not only that, but Cassandra had to gather his inventions each night and sneak them to Rapunzel so he didn’t want to make something so large and bulky that would cause her issues.

Currently he was taking a break from crafting the orbs and was making sashes out of leather that the orbs could be attached to for easy accessibility. He was using an awl to punch holes into each sash that would allow a buckle to tighten the belt to the user’s specifications. Sliding closer on his stool, he lifted the awl and prepared to drive it through the leather again when he heard Cass clear her throat from behind.

Jumping, he brought the awl down and missed the leather, puncturing his hand through the heavy glove instead. Ruddiger chittered in distress, scurrying around the worktable in front of the alchemist. The raccoon grabbed the tip of the glove in his mouth and backed up, dragging it off his boy as he had done in the past quite a few times.

“Varian!” she called in shock, hurrying over to his side. She quickly inspected the wound and ordered, “Stay here and don’t look at it!” before rushing back out of the room. Only moments passed and she was back, gently lifting his hand. Focusing on the blood streaming out of the wound, she started tightly winding a bandage around his hand. “Tell me what you were doing.”

“W-What?”

“You’re not in trouble,” she explained, sensing his unease. “I know you don’t deal well with blood so tell me what you were doing today.”

A relieved sigh left the alchemist’s mouth.

“I was making sashes that could carry my alchemy mixtures like the one I have. Since I can’t go help everyone, I thought they should have an easy way to carry all the mixtures I’ve been making.” He used his free hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. “I might have made too many.”

Cassandra looked up at him seriously.

“Varian, with the war that is raging, I don’t think you _can_ make too many things to help Raps. Each day seems to be getting worse and your alchemy is the only thing keeping Corona under the rule of the king and queen. They are using absolutely everything you send out.”

“Thanks, Cass.” She nodded, try to finish tying the end of the bandage. “No, I mean it,” he continued sincerely. “You’ve done so much for me. So much that I won’t be able to repay. You helped me out of Corona before Andrew or anyone could get to me, you’ve been keeping me safe here, and you’re letting me help Rapunzel and Eugene fight back without risking Andrew or the others hurting me.” He chuckled and wiggled his fingers when Cass released his hand. “Only _I’m_ hurting myself now.”

“You’ll be fine, you baby,” the warrior teased, a small smile on her face.

* * *

Rapunzel had given Varian five weeks to translate the Demanitus scroll as he had asked. She had wanted to visit him several times throughout the weeks but had refrained, reminding herself that he didn’t appreciate people interrupting him. Also, if she kept popping in on him, it would take him even longer to translate the scroll and she would have to avoid him for even longer. But finally, all five weeks had passed and she ignored the cries and pleas of maids and advisors as she dashed out of the castle towards Varian’s lab in the capital. Along the way, she had snagged Eugene and dragged him along with her.

“Woah! Slow down, Sunshine! What’s the rush?” he asked as he tried to keep from stumbling on the uneven cobblestones.

“Today is the day we can finally visit Varian!” the princess yelled in excitement over her shoulder. “I don’t want to make him wait any longer!”

The date suddenly clicked in his head and Eugene was full of the same eagerness as the woman tugging him down the street with an iron grip on his hand. Moments later they burst into the lab they had gifted Varian while he attempted to complete the tasks they had given him.

“Varian?” Rapunzel called in an enthusiastic voice as she ran down the stairs. “Varian? Where are you?” Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she looked around. Confusion swam in her eyes as she turned to look at the other. “Where is he?”

“Um, Sunshine?” the ex-thief called from across the room. “You might want to see this.”

Thinking he had found Varian, the princess hurried to join him. Instead, she found him looking at a message that was scrawled on the wall in front of them.

“Moved to a safer location?” she read slowly. “What does that mean? Did something happen to him?”

“That’s not all.” Eugene indicated the state of his room. “All of the kid’s stuff is gone.”

Rapunzel looked around the room as well, looking for any sign that the alchemist had been there.

“Do you think someone scared him off or took him?” she whispered in a worried voice.

Shaking his head, he replied, “I don’t think so. It’s too carefully cleaned.” He sighed. “I think he left. Of his own free will.”

“But why?”

Her voice started to waver as she tried to think of a reason he would feel threatened enough to move to a place he considered safe. What had made this lab seem dangerous to him?

“I don’t know,” Eugene answered, a rare seriousness in his tone.

Pulling her close, he tried to comfort her. The kid probably wasn’t far. They would find him soon and see what he had learned during his isolation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel has entered the game. Strap in, folks. This will be a long one and things are just getting started. 
> 
> Also, the next chapter will be more interesting, I swear. Just hold on.


	7. Missing

They had been searching for Varian for a week but they had no more insight into his movements than the first day of looking. Half the guards had been assigned to look for him and question civilians but none of them had reported seeing him in almost a month. The last person to see him was Xavier who had sold him some equipment twenty-three days ago.

Rapunzel was nearly out of her mind with worry. She had expanded the search to further lands in the kingdom after three days with no news. Currently she was riding Fidella to visit Quirin in Old Corona with Eugene following on Max. With no new leads turning up, they decided that his father had to know something that they didn’t.

The horse had barely stopped in front of the large home before the princess was racing up the steps and knocking quickly on the wooden door. Eugene took enough time to securely tether her horse and feed them both then joined her on the doorstep.

“I’m coming!” an annoyed voice called from inside, slowly getting louder as footsteps approached. The door was thrown open and Quirin’s face morphed from an expression of irritation to surprise as he took in his visitors. “Princess,” he gasped. “I apologize for causing you to wait. Please come in.” He stepped out the way to let the pair into his home and showed them to the table in the kitchen. “How may I help you, your majesty?”

“Just Rapunzel is fine, Quirin,” the blonde replied, mostly as a reflex. “But we came here to check in on Varian.” She looked around as if the boy would hurry through the room, scribbling in a notebook, on his way to test a theory that had just popped into his head. “Do you know where he is?”

Quirin’s face paled.

“He’s not with you?” He stood up and retrieved a letter from his bedroom. “He wrote me a letter that said he was working on a top secret project that you had given him in a new location that you had chosen for him. He also said that he would be away until he finished it.”

Rapunzel jumped to her feet and snatched the letter out of his hand, heart pounding in her chest as she studied it.

“I didn’t give him a new location!” A thought crossed her mind and she made eye contact with the leader. “Quirin, are you sure that Varian wrote this?”

Quirin nodded sadly, looking at the floor as the realization of what was happening hit him. His son could be in danger once again and he had to do all he could to help.

He moved to Varian’s lab in the basement, tools dusty after months of disuse. He grabbed a stack of papers and an old notebook, carrying them back to the couple in the kitchen. They were tossed gently onto the table for the others to inspect.

“I’m positive. That’s his handwriting, I’d know it anywhere. You can check it against his other writings if you want. And I can tell that he wasn’t under duress when he wrote it.” Sighing, he looked away. “I’ve always known that he might get targeted due to his intellect and then after everything that he’s done, he’s made several enemies. Due to this, I taught him to write a certain phrase in a letter if he was being held against his will. Wherever he is, he _chose_ to go there.” He paused. “At least as of three weeks ago. I haven’t heard from him since then.”

A gasp flew out of Rapunzel’s mouth and she raised her hand to cover it.

 _“Three weeks?!”_ she cried. “He’s been gone for _three weeks?!_ ” She started shaking her head as she tried to process the information. “There’s no way he’s safe! _No one_ has seen him, not even in the small, outlying towns!”

Placing a comforting hand on her arm, Eugene spoke calmly, “Sunshine, calm down. Varian is a smart kid. If he was in trouble, we would know.”

“Unless something happened to him since Quirin received the letter!” Rapunzel yelled back. “He could have been hurt or kidnapped or possibly even di-!”

“The kid’s still alive,” Eugene whispered. “I know he is. He’s fine and busy experimenting and staying up way too late somewhere with no one to tell him what to do.”

The princess’ eyes hardened. “We will find him and bring him home. Whether or not he wants to return.”

She turned and ran out the door, Eugene quickly apologizing for her and thanking Quirin quickly before hurrying after her.

* * *

Cassandra had snuck into a nearby market once again to gather essentials. No one ever recognized her at this market and she was able to restock on food and supplies that Varian had asked for to continue his work. As she was carefully slipping glassware into her bag, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It seemed to be fluttering with the slight breeze blowing through the empty square. Focusing on it, she realized it was a poster from the capital. She slid closer and realized the picture on it as well as the art style.

“Rapunzel,” she growled, scowling fiercely at the small poster as if she could burn a hole through it with just her eyes.

Quickly looking around, she saw no one in the area so she ripped the poster down and shoved it into her bag. Her eyes swept the area but she didn’t see any more of the posters and started to make her way home.

Just like every time she had previously returned home, Varian was waiting by the entrance for her. The warrior gave him a quick smile and put away the items she had brought home. When she finished, she apologized to him about not being able to spend any time with him due to her fatigue from the trip. She walked back to her room and dropped the bag, not noticing as the crumpled paper fell out of the bag and rolled under the bed as the door closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> His disappearance has officially been discovered.


	8. Using logic to get what you want

Before the Sun had risen that morning, Cassandra had slipped out of the cottage. She wasn’t worried about Varian wondering where she had gone at this point. With all she had to do, she didn’t spend too much time in the small cottage with him so he was used to it. Instead of looking for her, he’d go to the kitchen to find a note explaining when she should expect to return. They had started the system weeks ago and it was working well for them.

Not wasting any time, she jumped into the balloon that she had prepared the previous night and slowly rose into the sky with her mentor at her side. Currently the girl was leaning against the side, examining her gloves.

“What is your plan exactly?” she asked.

“It’ll be simple,” the warrior replied, sure of herself. “I know what the Keeper looks like so I’ll disguise myself as him using that cloak you told me about then question her about the location of the Mind Trap. Calliope is easy to fool and if I lure her into a false sense of security, she’ll simply lead us to what we want.” Cass quickly checked the hot air balloon’s controls to make sure they were functioning properly. “We should be in and out in less than half an hour.” She paused for a moment then rolled her eyes. “An hour at the longest. It depends on how much she talks.”

The girl had approved and the rest of the trip was spent in silence.

Sneaking into the Keeper’s home had been simple and the cloak had been spotted only seconds after entering; it _was_ the only cloak in sight. It was slipped on and she felt an odd tingling as her form change to appear as the aged Keeper of the Spire. Her bones lengthened to reach his taller height but also weakened, especially in her back as she hunched over slightly. The form was not comfortable, she felt strange aches and pains all over her body and it kept trying to fold in on itself seemingly only from her meager weight. This Keeper really needed to get some exercise before he dropped, she thought. Trying to hurry things up, she hobbled over to the door and slammed it closed. If Calliope was home, she would surely hear that and come to investigate.

On cue, the short woman suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, running down them.

“Keeper!” she called, excited to see her mentor.

Cassandra forced a smile onto the Keeper’s face, trying to make it look as sincere as possible as the other woman’s voice already threatened to annoy her.

“Good morning, Calliope,” she called kindly. “I came to check in on you. I’ve heard rumors of thieves in the area and wanted to make sure you and our artifacts were safe.”

“Thieves?” the student cried indignantly. “Well I can promise you they haven’t gotten in here. I’ve been keeping everything safe.”

She started to walk around the room, indicating and explaining several items. Starting to lose her patience, Cassandra cut her off.

“It does seem that all seems to be in place here but what about in the _Spire_? You are aware we keep the most important and dangerous artifacts in there. If any were to go missing, it would be disastrous.”

She tried to mimic the way the other believed the word was meant to be pronounced. It seemed to work because Calliope didn’t comment on it or find anything off. Instead, she hurried to lead them to the top. Lucky for Cassandra, she seemed to have learned a faster way up from the real Keeper and the climb did not take nearly as long as the previous trip.

“Here we are!” she announced, stopping in front of the large doors. A key was pulled off her belt and used to unlock the doors. They stepped inside and the pair started to check that nothing was missing. Cassandra picked up a small box and behind her, her mentor confirmed this was the box they were searching for. She called the woman over.

“Calliope. We must make sure that the Mind Trap is still here. We cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands.”

Nodding, another key was fished out and the box popped open only moments later. A fake sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she stared at the object she had come to steal. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her mentor reach forward and knock one of the artifacts to the ground. Surprised, Calliope spun on her heel to see what had happened. Using her momentary distraction, the warrior slipped the blue stone from the box and hid it under the cloak. Closing the box, she set it back on its shelf and approached the student.

Calliope was picking up a small orb and setting it carefully back on the correct shelf.

“Thank goodness that didn’t shatter,” Cassandra called.

“Seriously,” Calliope agreed, going on to explain what the artifact did but Cassandra didn’t pay attention. She had what she came for and was ready to get back before she was discovered.

“Everything appears to still be here. Good work, Calliope. I feel the Spire is safe in your hands.” Brightening at the compliment, Calliope didn’t even think to double check the box she had opened. “I must leave you here though. I still have much to do and you have to return to your studies.”

The pair left the large vault, the student securely locking the door once more, before separating.

A grin crossed Cassandra’s face as she returned to where she had stored the balloon. All went according to plan.

* * *

The Sun was high in the sky as she stepped back into the cottage. Once again, Varian was waiting for her, Ruddiger wrapped around his neck.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted which he returned.

“I’ve been working hard,” Varian started. “I designed some new halberds that shouldn’t break so easily.”

Smiling at him, she ruffled his hair.

“I look forward to seeing it.” From a pocket of the cloak she still had draped around her shoulders, she retrieved the large stone. “We need to keep this safe. My father snuck it to me this morning. He said that it’s an old royal family heirloom that they were worried could be stolen. It’s a very powerful magical artifact that could be devastating if used against them.” She held it out to him and he was able to study the stone closer. It was light blue with a symbol of some kind etched into it. It seemed familiar but he couldn’t place it. “Since we are in an impenetrable building they thought it would be safe with us. Can you put this in my room while I see what you made today?” she asked sincerely.

Excited to be trusted with something so significant, Varian grabbed the stone and hurried to her room. It was carefully placed on what he assumed to be her desk. He started to turn to leave the room when something caught his eye.

Something was laying on the floor, somewhat concealed by the bed. Normally he wasn’t one to dig through other people’s belongings but an odd thought was nagging at him.

Crossing the room quickly, he grabbed a crumpled piece of paper and straightened it out.

His own face stared up at him under the word _‘Missing’_.

Shocked, he nearly dropped the paper.

“Varian?” he heard Cassandra call from behind him and he turned to face her in a daze. “You did a good job today. Can you help me move it to the door so I can take it to Raps?”

The young alchemist’s mind didn’t even register what she had said, too focused on the paper.

“Cass, what’s this?” he asked slowly, afraid of the answer.

“What?” She looked at the paper in his hands. “Oh that?” She laughed. “It’s nothing! You left suddenly and since you’ve been here for the last few weeks, people haven’t seen you in a while and some got nervous that the Saporians had gotten to you. Rapunzel smoothed the whole thing out. Don’t worry!”

Still confused, he asked, “Then why do _you_ have it?”

“I thought it was something you might want for later. Something you could laugh at once the Saporians are caught. The rest were all torn down already and I was lucky to find this one.”

“Okay…”

Sensing his unease, she continued, “Come on. Let’s get everything moved then we can have some dinner. That’ll make you feel better.”

Nodding, he watched Cassandra leave the room. He took one last glance at the paper and shoved it into his pocket before hurrying after her.

All that he had created that morning was dragged to the door while Cassandra moved it outside to where he assumed she would store it until she could get it to Rapunzel. After everything was moved, Cassandra thanked him and closed the entrance. With a smirk, she walked to a large shed also constructed from the rocks that was out of Varian’s sight.

She parted the rocks and smiled.

In front of her, stretching for hundreds of yards, was everything that Varian had built so far. Things were going smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did Cass take the cloak off anyway? I never understood that. Calliope would have been more willing if she had kept it on and kept pretending to be the Keeper.
> 
> Also if the length of this chapter didn't let you know already, I've been excited to get to this point. Lots of good stuff coming up. Things might be starting to change.


	9. Doubt creeps in

Varian had found the poster and was starting to question his _friend_. Cassandra couldn’t let that happen. She had to steer him forcefully back onto her side before she lost his willingness to help. However, she wasn’t sure what to do to make that happen so she consulted her own little friend. Once again she met up with her outside the cottage, out of the alchemist’s hearing.

“What seems to be troubling you, Cassandra?” the girl asked as soon as the entrance sealed behind her, already waiting outside for her as usual. Each night they met to discuss the progress of their plan and strategize about steps for moving forward.

Sighing in frustration, the warrior started pacing in front of her. Her fingers twitched in agitation but she felt a slight bit of relief with her mentor at her side. Her mentor always kept her going on the correct path. She had no reason to question her judgment.

“It’s Varian,” she explained. “He’s starting to think that something is going on. He barely bought that the poster was fake. If he continues to think that, I’ll lose his support and I still need it.”

The girl stroked her chin as she considered the situation. She needed the warrior to see her as on her side as well as Varian viewing Cassandra the same way for her own plan to work. Neither could be allowed to become suspicious of her actions. Something practical had to be suggested.

“What if you gave him another letter?” she asked. “It seemed to work well enough the last time at pushing him down the correct path. I can once again write it for you.” Grinning, Cassandra agreed. “I have another suggestion you may find useful,” the girl whispered.

“I’m all ears.”

* * *

Having finished all his work for the day and already having helped Cassandra move it, Varian was sitting at his desk. Just as he did at the end of each day, he was scribbling down what had happened in his journal. According to the pages in his journal, he was ending his thirty-first day staying in the cottage. About a week ago, Cassandra had warned him that the Saporians had begun using airships in their battle against Corona but he hadn’t seen any yet. He wasn’t sure if it was because of their distance from the capital or some other reason, but he was keeping track of each day without a sighting on the inside of the journal. Flipping to the front, he jotted down a seventh tally mark under the title ‘Days Without an Airship Sighting’.

As he was closing the journal, Cassandra cleared her throat from the archway into his room.

“Oh hey, Cassie,” he called with a smile. “I was about to go to bed. Did you need something?” He indicated the nightwear he had already changed into for the evening with his bare hands. The last thing he was planning to do before going to sleep was utilize his bathing chamber since he had successfully gotten running water into the cottage.

“You got mail,” she replied with a smile of her own, tossing a pair of letters down onto the desk. “I managed to retrieve both of these without getting caught. That’s all. Good night.”

Giving him a quick wave, she walked away. Excited for any news from outside, he picked up the one on top and tore it open.

_Varian,_

_First of all, I don’t have much time to write this letter but thank you for all the supplies you’ve been sending. Without them, Corona would have fallen weeks ago. We are hoping to corner the Saporians and attack them directly to force this battle to an end. We don’t want to cause any of their deaths so we were hoping you could make us more of the bubbles that were used to contain them last time. Also, can you please create an antidote for them? If any of our soldiers or citizens were caught in them, we wouldn’t be able to save them._

_I hope to bring you home soon,_

_Rapunzel_

Finishing the letter, he decided he would work on the bubble capsules and an antidote for them first thing in the morning. He couldn’t ignore her directly asking for something. Not when crafting and sending his inventions and other creations were the only things he could do at the moment. Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he opened the second letter. His eyes widened, weariness gone, as he recognized the handwriting on the page in front of him.

Dad

_Varian,_

_I joined the princess in the battle. We’re heavily outnumbered, Saporians seem to have crawled out of the woodworks to join their partners, but we’re managing to hold them back with what you’ve created. I never got to see your own attack on Corona but if you used weapons like these, I can see how you did so well. However, it is also nice to be seeing them used to help rather than to hurt. Please remember that I’m doing all I can to get you home._

_I’m proud of you for all you’re doing to help,_

_Your dad_

Varian’s face scrunched up as he felt another odd tug. This was not how he remembered his father writing in letters he had seen the man write in the past. Perhaps he had just changed his writing style a bit to write to his son? The handwriting did match after all.

He cracked his notebook open once more and added a bit more to his entry for the day.

_Cass gave me two letters as I was preparing for bed. One was an update on the battle from Rapunzel where she suggested I create more of the bubble capsules I had used against them previously. The other was from my dad but something is off about it. I’m not sure what to think right now but if things progress, I’ll have to talk to Cass about it. For now, I need to sleep so tomorrow I can work with a clear head. Hopefully…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More pieces are starting to fall into place.


	10. Help wanted

A few days previously, Cassandra had created a small fenced in area for Varian. It allowed him an opportunity to enjoy the Sun while still being ‘protected’. At first, he had been nervous about going out while the Saporians were on the loose but once he had seen the towering rocks and menacing points, his doubts had disappeared. Every afternoon, the boy would spend about half an hour outside while eating his lunch or taking a break from his work. The door to the yard was opened in the morning and closed in the evening so that he could go out whenever he wanted without the need to ask for Cassandra’s assistance. This was rather useful as she still seemed to pop in and out whenever she wanted so Varian could never be sure when she was in the cottage.

Today she waited until he was asleep in his chambers and the entrance to the yard was closed before she slipped out. She had a mission to complete and needed the cover of darkness. Her mentor had given her the idea and while she wasn’t excited about it, she had agreed that it made sense. The balloon was used to fly to the beach on the far side of the capital, near the bridge, where she dragged it a little deeper into the woods to hide it until she needed it again. Once again, she pulled the cloak she had stolen from the Spire over her head and assumed the form of one of the palace guards. Without worry for being caught, she walked to the palace and easily made her way to the dungeons. Many guards greeted her on the way but she simply nodded at them. Two guards were meant to be in the dungeons but she only found one patrolling the area and relieved him.

A self-satisfied grin crossed her face as the man rounded the corner. When the sound of his footsteps was no longer audible, she grabbed the nearby keys and approached a cell.

“Get up,” she called to the occupants.

A tall man stood up, careful to not release the ends of the cords in his hands, and stepped closer. He didn’t seem to care about what she had to say. The only thing he was focusing on was keeping the other criminals from floating away in their bubble prisons.

“What do you want?” another occupant called but her voice was muffled by the bubble she was trapped in.

“I came to make a bargain with you,” Cassandra replied, lowering her hood and revealing her true form.

“Cassie!” another man called happily, head still stuck in a bubble. “I knew you still had a thing for me!”

“Shut it, _Hubert_.” The man glared at the use of his actual name. He hated that he had let her know it and wished for her to call him Andrew again. “I’m willing to let you out but you can’t be an _ass_.” She laughed. “Oh wait, that’s just how you _always_ are.”

A short woman raised her eyebrow, looking her over while Andrew glared at her.

“What would you want in return?”

“I’m planning an attack on Corona. I need soldiers and I know you want a part in that.” The Saporian leader tapped against the outside of his bubble over the spot his chin was as he considered the idea. They did want to destroy Corona but was it worth joining the woman? Would she be true to her word or drop them the second things turned against her? “In exchange, I will release you and you might get to visit an old _'friend’_.”

She withdrew a brightly colored orb from her pocket and tossed it in the air. All the occupants of the cell watched it with hungry eyes as she caught it again.

“That’s-” Andrew began, surprised.

“The alchemist!” the small woman interrupted.

Cassandra smiled.

“Yes. He made this for me. We’re working together to destroy Corona.” She looked at them like she was carrying a secret. “He might not be aware of that fact yet though.”

“We’re in.”

“Wonderful.” She pulled the keys out and unlocked the cell. “I have a balloon waiting for us on the other side of the bridge.” Lifting the orb, she ordered, “Now hold still.”

* * *

Rapunzel was in the middle of redesigning the routes the guards were using to look for Varian. They hadn’t found him yet using them and if he was in trouble, someone might be using the current routes to make their plans. She worried that if he was in danger somewhere, the person who caused it might move around when the guards weren’t nearby. It was a flaw she had to fix.

The door to the war room burst open and a guard ran in, panting heavily.

“Princess!” he cried, relieved to have found her.

“Whoa, whoa,” she tried to keep her voice calm so the man would calm down himself. Her heart was beating a mile a minute though as she tried to figure out what had spooked him so badly. “Take a breath and let me know what happened.”

“It’s the Saporians!” he explained in a rush. “They’ve escaped! We have no idea how they did it!”

Shocked, the princess took a step back. A million thoughts started to run through her head.

_Why had they escaped?_

_How had they done it?_

_What were they planning?_

_Was Corona their target?_

_Did they manage to escape from the bubbles Varian had-_

_Varian!_

A vivid memory of the alchemist dangling over the edge of an airship forced its way to the front of her mind; the haunting words Andrew had threatened him with ringing in her ears.

The Saporians had wanted to kill Varian the last time they had interacted. Did they still want to? Was he in danger? She collapsed to her knees and covered her face, tears threatening to fall. She should have told him everything, about their journey, about Cass, about why she had asked him to translate the scroll. If the Saporians got to him, she would never be able to tell him. She would never see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They got out. The army is growing.
> 
> Also, my fiance and I will be attending a nearby protest tonight so there may or may not be a chapter posted tomorrow. It depends on how things go and how late I (hopefully) make it home.


	11. Demanding some answers

As usual, Varian was waiting for her when she returned home. However, instead of being excited to hear about what she had done or show her some new invention he had created, he was nearly glaring at her.

“Hey, Varian,” she called lightly, trying to ease the situation. “Did you want to talk about something?”

“Yes,” he replied shortly, arms crossed. “I need you to explain something.”

With that, he turned and walked through the open archway to his room. Cassandra assumed she was meant to follow him and did so. The boy was standing next to his desk which was covered in papers. Some had his own writing scrawled across them while others she recognized immediately. Peering closer at the papers Varian had written on, she noticed that he had scribbled various questions and connections as if he was trying to unriddle some great mystery.

Grabbing the letter from Quirin, he held it before her face.

“You said that this was from my dad. You said that he gave it to you but it doesn’t sound anything like him. It’s off and I can’t figure out why unless it’s fake. I’ve seen letters that he’s written before and this is completely different.”

Panic started to form in Cassandra’s stomach. He couldn’t realize that she had been lying to him. Everything would fall apart if he did.

A fake smile was plastered to her face.

“Don’t worry, Varian,” she said slowly. “When your dad gave it to me, he said that he wrote it differently in case it was taken from me and seen by someone else. He didn’t want you to be in danger.”

The scowl on the alchemist’s face didn’t waver.

“That still doesn’t explain him mentioning my…” He looked away, ashamed. “My…past mistakes…” Shaking himself, he focused on the issue again. “After I told him, we agreed to never bring it up again. I felt that this letter was strange the first time I read it but until I remembered the conversation we had weeks ago, I realized why it was so odd.” Cassandra opened her mouth to smooth over the issue but Varian kept pushing. “Not only that, but there’s also this.” The crumpled missing poster was suddenly shoved under her nose. “You said that this was fake! That it was made by villagers who were worried about my disappearance but we _both_ know that the art on this poster was made by Rapunzel! The same Rapunzel who _you_ said made those villagers understand that I wasn’t in danger!” The boy’s anger seemed to grow the more evidence he presented to the warrior. She was slightly concerned that he would attempt to physically attack her to learn the truth and she stepped away from him nervously. “ _And_ you said that Saporian airships have been used to attack Corona!” This time the journal with nearly a dozen tally marks was thrust into her face. “But every day I’ve watched the sky when I can and _never_ have I seen one fly overhead! No matter the distance from the capital, I should have seen at least one if there are as many as you say there are!”

The panic had reached her throat and was squeezing with a death grip. Cassandra gulped frantically for air, trying to think of something to calm him down. She couldn’t let him get the better of her!

_“Also-!”_

A loud _bang_ from outside the cottage made them both freeze, turning to look at where the sound had come from. An opportunity to escape from the situation had struck and Cassandra darted to the entrance and outside before Varian could call after her. A quick idea inspired her to close the archway to Varian’s chambers and the window to lock him inside.

Taking a quick look around, she noticed that one of the trees nearby had exploded, familiar glass pieces at the base of it. Standing in front of it, a smirk clearly etched on his face, was Andrew.

“We could hear the yelling from out here,” he clarified coolly. “Thought you might need some help keeping him in line.” Frustrated that she had to thank _Andrew_ of all people, she did with a deep glare on her face. “Now come fight me and you can return as short-stack’s hero.”

A giddy feeling rose in her chest. An excuse to fight Andrew _and_ a way to push aside Varian’s doubts for a bit? Oh, she’d gladly take that. She charged at him and swung her sword, purposefully missing him but only by a few inches. A sword was pulled from its sheath as Andrew fought back against her, eager to spar after months of rotting in prison. His movements weren’t nearly as quick as usual so she forced herself to slow down a bit so she wouldn’t actually harm him. As much as she hated him, she needed his support.

Half an hour later the two gave it a rest, Andrew quickly dropping to the ground and panting.

“Haven’t moved much in weeks,” he admitted. “I have to train again so I can be at my best.”

“Thanks for the help,” Cassandra tossed over her shoulder as she walked slowly back to the cottage. “And good fight.”

At the entrance she paused to turn the tips of her gloves into sharp points then raked them across her face, close to her right eye. A bit of dirt and dust had gathered on her from the sparring match but she scooped up more and dumped it over her body to look more ragged. The armor was unbreakable so she couldn’t damage it in any way that would be realistic so making herself appear dirty was the only option.

Grinning to herself for a moment, she opened the entrance and stepped inside. She let out a loud moan of pain and slumped against the outside of Varian’s chambers, closing the entrance quickly.

“Cass?” she heard his muffled voice call. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” she replied as she let the wall down, allowing herself to fall to the ground with it. “The Saporians attacked,” she whimpered. “They were strong but I managed to fight them off.” Making eye contact, she tried to appear weak and frail while also looking apologetic. “I’m sorry, Varian. They know where you are now but at least they can’t get to you.”

Shocked at her haggard appearance and the blood on her face, Varian ran for the first aid kit in the lab. He missed her smile victoriously at his back before resuming her previous expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will he still doubt her after all that?
> 
> Thanks to everyone who was concerned about the protest yesterday. All went well! Also, happy PRIDE MONTH to everyone! As a homoromantic asexual, this month is super important to me! If you want to talk about Pride, find me on tumblr at Annelixa and I'll be happy to talk to you about anything!


	12. Friends in the garden

A few days had passed since the Saporian attack and Cassandra had healed. Each morning, Varian had cleaned and re-covered the wound before the two split for their own tasks until nightfall. At first, Varian had been nervous to go into the yard to enjoy his lunch again but he pushed himself to go out. He always took Ruddiger with him so he could slip between a gap in the rocks to explore the grove. The raccoon was always back within a couple hours and he wasn’t worried about him getting hurt or caught by the Saporians. Even though the animal had spent his time in prison with him, they couldn’t recognize the raccoon without him around.

As he stepped outside, the Sun’s warmth hit his skin and he felt ease sweep over him. A small smile crossed his face as he walked around the small yard before sitting against the side of the cottage, starting to eat his lunch. Beside him, Ruddiger watched him eat while eyeing the apple the alchemist had brought out with him.

“Oh, go on,” he relented, laughing quietly.

Not wasting a moment, the raccoon dashed forward and snatched the tasty fruit. He ate it quickly and laid in his boy’s lap to sleep. Finishing the rest of his lunch, Varian pulled out his notebook and a pencil. A letter was written slowly as he tried to think of what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. Once he was done, he tied the letter to the raccoon’s neck with a bit of twine and gently woke him.

“Take this to Rapunzel.” The raccoon touched the paper around his neck, suddenly understanding what he was meant to do. “It’ll take a few days to get there, but I know you can do it.” Standing on his hind legs, Ruddiger placed his paws on Varian’s cheeks. “I’ll miss you too, bud,” Varian replied, hugging the raccoon. “I’ll see you soon.”

Jumping off, the raccoon ran with determination to the gap in the rocks and disappeared. He watched his best friend go, glad to finally send a letter on his own. He was thankful for Cass for sending his letter to his dad but he didn’t want to bother her to send another letter. Rapunzel had said not to respond in her first letter but he didn’t think she would mind receiving a letter from him. It had been weeks and she would want to know how he was doing directly from him instead of through quick conversation from Cass.

Happy with himself, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He had worked hard today so taking a short nap wouldn’t upset anyone.

* * *

_“Look at him. So high and mighty that he can just sleep in the middle of his little safe space.”_

_“Doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”_

_“A cute, kept pet.”_

_“Spoiled and hidden.”_

_“Loved for his talents and hated for the same reason.”_

Voices from around him drifted into his ears and roused him.

“Huh? What?” Rubbing his eyes, he looked around to determine where the words were coming from. He froze when he saw faces leering at him from between gaps in the rocks. “How…how…?”

“How’d we find you?” Andrew asked, grinning. “Kid, we’ve known where you were for days. We found you before Cassie got hurt, remember?” Rising to his feet on shaky legs, Varian took a step towards the opening into the cottage. “You can run and hide in your little fortress but just remember, we’ll be out here. Waiting for you for slip up.”

Terrified, the alchemist dashed into the cottage.

“Cass! Cass!” he screamed, desperately searching for her. _“CASS!”_

Concerned, the warrior hurried to join him.

“Varian? What’s wrong?”

Collapsing against her, he forced out, “A-Andrew!”

Instantly understanding, she sealed the entrance to the yard and pulled the frantic alchemist close.

“It’s okay,” she soothed, running her hand through his hair. “He can’t get to you now.” His arms wrapped tightly around her, crying hard. The adrenaline pumped through his body and he couldn’t calm himself. Taking pity on him, she whispered soothing words and rubbed his back with her free hand. “I won’t let them in here and they won’t hurt you.”

“B-But the rocks! They could get through the gaps in the rocks!”

Concentrating, the warrior created more rocks to fill in the gaps that they could use. She felt them sprout from the ground and reach high into the sky.

“Not anymore. All the gaps are closed.”

Gasping, he looked up at her.

“Ruddiger!”

For the first time, she noticed that the animal wasn’t around. He was always there when Varian needed him.

“Where is he?”

“He was in the grove! He won’t be able to get back in! He could starve! Or get caught by another animal! Or-!”

Shushing him, she pulled him close again.

“He will be fine. Ruddiger is smart and when he comes back, I’ll let him in. Don’t worry.”

The alchemist continued to spout his insecurities but she tackled them each time.

Eventually he wore himself out, his body sagging against hers. Looking down, she realized that he had cried himself to sleep, tears still shining on his face. She scooped him up and carried him to his room, laying him gently on his bed and wrapping the sheets around him. A glass of water was placed on his desk for when he woke up. She watched him sleep peacefully for a few moments, trying to think if there was anything else she could do for him before she quietly left the room.

Slipping out of the cottage, she approached the shelter she had created for the Saporians in the grove.

“You scared the kid half to death,” she called.

Andrew stepped out of the shelter.

“Oh come on. We barely said anything to him.”

“Either way, you need to back off for a few days. I need him compliant, not traumatized.”

Shrugging, he walked away.

 _‘Don’t hurt my kid,’_ she thought as she returned to the cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Cassandra starting to think of Varian as her kid? Does he feel the same way?
> 
> Also, hang on. The dark is coming soon...


	13. Proof

After the encounter with the Saporians, Varian had been having trouble sleeping. To his detriment, he had started dozing off in the middle of his work or in random places around the cottage. Each time he was awoken, screaming and thrashing as he tried to run from the phantom Saporians in his dreams, he had to take several minutes to calm himself again.

The first night he had slept without nightmares. However, he didn’t remember falling asleep or even getting to bed. He had assumed that Cassandra had brought him to bed but when he had tried to ask her about it, she had just shrugged it off. The warrior had been spending even less time in his presence which sent his thoughts spiraling with worry. What had he done to cause this change in her?

He had also started avoiding the yard, only peeking out to see if Ruddiger had returned yet. Nearly a week had passed without any sign of the raccoon but he still had hope each day. Once again, he poked his head out to listen for the sound of his best friend scratching against the rocks. Instead, something soft landed on his shoulders that knocked him to the ground. He heard familiar chittering in his ear and realized that his faithful buddy had made it back to him safely.

“Ruddiger!” he cried happily, hugging the raccoon quickly before checking him for injuries. The animal seemed fine but he noticed a letter still tied to his neck. “Could you not get this to Rapunzel?” Carefully unwinding the twine, he removed the letter and opened it to see a letter he hadn’t written. “It’s a reply!”

Looking around, he darted to his chambers and sat at his desk to read the letter.

_Varian,_

_I’m so glad to hear that you’re okay. No one has known where you were for months! Your dad has been worried sick about you since your letter. He misses you so much and has been looking tirelessly for you! But Varian, there’s something you need to know. You have to get away from Cassandra! She’s dangerous! I never asked her to move you and I would never have! She’s a criminal wanted for treason! You need to get back to the castle so we can protect you. The Saporians have escaped and there’s evidence that someone helped them. At first, the guards suspected that you had assisted them since you had worked together before and you were missing but I convinced them otherwise with your letter. They now think that Cassandra broke them out but they weren’t sure for what until we received your letter._

_Varian, please understand there is no one invading Corona at this moment but if you’ve been making weapons for Cassandra, there might be soon. She might be planning to launch an attack with what you’ve made! She’s been using you! You have to stop her and return to us but please be careful! We don’t know what she could do to you to keep you working for her._

_Wishing for your safety,_

_Rapunzel_

What?

Cass was lying to him? No. No, that couldn’t be true. Cass was the one who was protecting him from the Saporians, right? She was there for his safety because Rapunzel had asked her…but Rapunzel said in her letter that she was using him…He clutched his head, trying to understand. Cass cared for him! He’s seen it! She fought the Saporians for him and patched him up after he made mistakes in the lab. She delivered letters for him and got him anything he needed. She had even kept the necklace he’d made her! Why would she do that if she was just using him?

He didn’t understand.

* * *

“You’re letting your concern for the boy to cloud your judgment.” The girl was lecturing her again. “You have to let go of your old connection to him before it costs you your destiny.”

The girl continued to talk but Cassandra wasn’t paying attention. She had too many things on her mind.

Why was she suddenly caring about Varian so much? She couldn’t figure it out so she had been avoiding him while she sorted herself out. The alchemist was only meant to be a pawn for her to use but he had almost become the king she had to protect to keep from losing the game. Sure, he was useful but he wasn’t the most important part of her plan. She needed to refocus and remind herself of his place.

As Varian burst into her room, she realized the time had come. His face was red with anger and he was panting slightly. Ruddiger was sitting on top of his head, glaring at her just as hard as his boy was.

“You lied to me!” he yelled, holding out a piece of paper. “Rapunzel never asked you to protect me! You kidnapped me!”

How had he learned that? She tore the paper out of his hand, reading it quickly. Anxiety bubbled in her stomach.

“Where did you get this?” she asked quietly.

“Rapunzel sent it to me!” he shot back, eyes blazing. “I sent her a message a week ago and her reply just arrived!”

“How did you…?” The warrior trailed off as she looked at the raccoon on his head again. “You sent her a letter with Ruddiger, didn’t you?!” The alchemist opened his mouth to respond but she continued over him. “All I’ve done is look out for you and you go behind my back to send sneaky messages?” The anxiety morphed into fury as she stalked toward the boy. His eyes widened as fear washed over him. “Well no more of that! If you think I kidnapped you, then let’s make this a kidnapping!”

“W-What?” he squeaked out before he felt the floor start to shake under his feet.

A sudden upward force knocked him to the ground and he watched in terror as the warrior concentrated. Over her shoulder he could see a window and noticed as the trees disappeared and clouds started to replace them.

“No more yard! No more sending letters without permission! No more windows!” As she yelled, the ground continued to shake, preventing Varian from getting up.

“What are you doing?” he cried, desperate for answers.

The shaking stopped and she grabbed his arm, starting to drag him out of her room.

“There used to be a very famous tower in this exact spot,” she explained, keeping a firm grip as he tried to jerk away. “I’ve simply made my own and instead of our _dear princess_ , this tower will be yours.” Throwing him into his room, she mocked, “And unlike her, you will _never_ get out.”

The archway slammed closed.

There was no more doubt in her heart. Varian would always be a pawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's started. The 'consensual kidnapping' is now just an old fashioned kidnapping. The angst we all crave is just around the corner.


	14. To the tower

The letter she had received from Varian had given Rapunzel momentary relief. It told her that he was safe somewhere, he was still _alive_ somewhere. However, it disappeared when she read the contents of the letter.

_Dear Rapunzel,_

_I appreciate the letters you’ve sent me._

What letters? She hadn’t written him any letters. Who was he receiving letters from that claimed to be from her?

_I know you said not to reply but I had to. I also know it’s been hard to get them to me with everything going on._

What was going on? Things seemed calm at the moment, only somewhat tense since no one had heard anything about Cassandra in months.

_Cass tells me how difficult it’s been to get those supplies to you but I’m glad they’re helping!_

Cass?! Varian was with Cassandra?! And he was fine with it?! Didn’t he know what she had done? A wave of guilt washed over her. Of course he didn’t. She had never told him and Cassandra must be lying. And what supplies was he talking about? She hadn’t received any supplies from him.

_I wish I could be there to help in person but Cass explained how you wanted me to be safe. This location is great! So secluded, the Saporians will never find me here._

Of course she wanted him to be safe but she didn’t want him safe with _Cassandra_! That was not a safe place to be! Also, what did the Saporians have to do with anything? They had only broken out of jail recently while he had been missing for over two months at that point.

_Since I’m stuck here until this all blows over, please tell me everything that happened when I’m back! I want to hear how the Saporians were defeated! Cass tells me how bad the damage the war is causing Corona. When I return, I’ll help you all rebuild! It’ll only be fair since you hid me and I can’t fight with you all directly._

_Varian_

War.

Varian wrote about a war.

He thought the Saporians were attacking Corona.

What was Cassandra feeding him?

She had to get him back.

Sighing quietly, she looked out the doors onto her balcony and noticed something new. The tip of something large and black was just visible. She thought it was made from the black rocks Cassandra could use but what was it? She had to find out.

* * *

The sound of something moving woke Varian and he looked around to see the rocks concealing the entrance to his room disappearing into the floor. It took him a moment to remember why the rocks were even there in the first place but the memory of confronting Cass slowly resurfaced. His attempts to shove his proof in her face, the way she had suddenly turned on him, being dragged back to the room and left in the dark. Fear ran down his spine and he was not eager to see the woman on the other side of the wall.

“Good morning, Varian,” she called as she strolled in as if she owned the place. Well, technically she did, he reasoned. “There is a slight problem that I need your help with. You see, I noticed a certain friend of yours approaching the tower.”

“Ruddiger!” he cried, looking around for the almost constant animal.

“No, not him. I removed him for the time being. You acted inappropriately last night and he was taken away as punishment. You can have him back if you behave.” She clicked her tongue, somewhat frustrated. “No, a princess has come to pay us a visit.”

Hope rose in the alchemist’s chest.

“Rapunzel!”

Cassandra rolled her eyes.

“Yes, her.” She walked toward him. “Now stay still.” Before he could ask what she was doing, rocks burst from the floor and formed a cage around him. “That should keep you until she’s gone.” Behind him the outside wall fell away and he felt the ground shift under him as he was moved. A long platform slowly pushed his cage to rest hundreds of yards above the ground.

“Say hi to your friend, Varian,” the warrior called as she walked away.

“Rapunzel! Help!” he shrieked, trying to force his way out of the cage surrounding him.

At his voice, the princess looked up and gasped when she saw him.

“Varian! I’m going to get you out of there!”

Cassandra joined her at the base of the tower and smiled at her uninvited guest.

“Nice to see you again.”

“Let him go, Cass!” Rapunzel yelled, facing her old friend.

“Not even a hello first?” the warrior teased.

“Now!”

“If you say so, your highness.”

With a snap, the platform holding Varian in the cage crumbled and he dropped through the air. His terrified screams easily reached the pair.

“No! That’s not what I meant!”

“It isn’t?” A new platform burst from the wall and caught the cage, holding it steady. Above them, they could hear Varian’s frantic breathing. He was gasping for air as he tried to calm himself. “My apologies.”

Furious, Rapunzel demanded, “Release him!”

“If that’s what you really want.”

The bars around the cage melted away and Varian threw himself down, wrapping his body around the platform to avoid falling again.

“Stop that!” Rapunzel cried, eyes blazing.

“You really need to be more careful choosing your words, Princess,” Cass sneered, instantly reforming the cage around the alchemist.

“I came here for him and I refuse to go until you give him back!”

“Is that so? Just how are you going to get him? I’m not through with him yet.” The point of a sharp rock burst from the ground, stopping centimeters from Varian’s neck. Backing away, he scooted until he hit the wall which only allowed him a breath more space. He gulped quickly, trying to breathe steadily and not cut himself on the tip. “If you keep trying to get him back, I’m afraid he might get _hurt_.”

Rapunzel glanced quickly back and forth between the woman in front of her and the boy hanging far too high above her. She didn’t want to leave him but she didn’t want any harm to come to him either. Realizing the battle was lost, she called an apology up to Varian. She turned away quickly, not wanting either to see the tears in her eyes.

Once the princess was out of sight, Cassandra re-entered her tower. Walking up to the level Varian was dangling from, she focused on pulling the cage back into the tower. The alchemist’s terrified eyes met hers, trying to figure out what she was going to do to him now.

The moment he was safely inside, the walls crumbled once more and she helped him to his feet. Confused by her contradictory actions, he allowed the help while watching her warily.

“Are you alright?” she asked, looking him over carefully.

“Why do you care?” he replied without thinking. When his own words hit him, he flinched.

Meeting his gaze, she simply said, “I don’t want you to get hurt.” He started to question her words, compare them to her actions, but she started leading him back to his room. “Come on. You need to rest.”

They walked in silence, both trying to process the actions of the last half an hour.

Varian couldn’t understand what she was trying to do with him. She would threaten his life in front of Rapunzel but once she was gone, she was worried about him? Was it more emotional manipulation? Did she just want to make sure he was fit to complete his work? There had to be more to her plan that she wasn’t revealing to him. He would have to stay on his toes for his own protection.

Beside him, Cassandra wondered if she had gone too far. She honestly didn’t want to hurt the alchemist. Even though she had declared to herself that Varian would only be a pawn for her use, she wouldn’t hurt him if she could help it. No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop herself from caring about the boy and wanting to protect him while using his talents to help her reach her goals. She was being torn in two but she could manage it, she had to. Either way, she had to keep him in line and he had crossed it when he questioned his place. He would have to be punished once more. After all, kids need rules and a parent’s job was to enforce them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel knows where he is but can't get to him.


	15. Mommy dearest

“There has to be a way out,” Varian muttered, mixing a beaker containing a brightly colored compound. Setting it next to a line of others, he looked over the dozen of different mixtures. One of them had to affect the black rocks like the compound that had encased his dad had. After seeing Rapunzel and realizing Cassandra’s true nature, he was determined to find a way to escape. He had to, both for his own safety and the safety of all of Corona. Picking up a glowing green beaker, he faced the wall. “Might as well start with acid.”

After pulling his goggles down, he threw it at the wall and covered his face with his arm. He heard a loud _boom_ but when he peered out from behind his arm, he saw the wall was still intact. “Well, no luck with that one.” A note was quickly written in his notebook before throwing another and another. None of them left even an indent in the wall. Groaning, he flopped onto the floor.

“Varian!” he heard Cassandra call, her voice closer than he had expected. “I heard an explosion! Are you okay?” Skidding into the lab, she looked around for the alchemist. His notes caught her eye and she read them quickly then peered at the boy laying on the ground. “You’re trying to leave?”

The warrior’s presence had caused fear to rise in his stomach and he froze.

“N-No…?”

Leaning down, Cassandra grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

“Let’s go.”

Once again he was dragged to his room by the arm. The alchemist stumbled from the force and caught himself on the wall by his bed. Feeling something grow around his wrist, he looked down and saw a cuff made from the rocks around his wrist. It was connected to the wall with only a single link of chain, heavily restricting his movement.

“Look, Varian, I don’t want to hurt you. This is just a punishment so you remember the rules.” She ruffled his hair but he leaned away from her. “Your life is here now, not in the castle or Old Corona. You _belong_ here.”

He glared, refusing to look at her.

“I don’t _want_ to be here. I _want_ to go home.”

“Varian, _this_ is your home. You’re meant to be here, with me.”

Fury started to cloud his judgment and he yelled without thinking.

“I’m _meant_ to be free to choose what I want to do with my life and where I want to go! I shouldn’t be _forced_ to stay locked in here!” Without a word, Cassandra walked over to the shelves slowly. “Wait. What are you doing?”

“Your punishment was just going to be being locked in your room for a while.” She reached for the glass bird. “But I had to increase it due to your disobedience.”

“No! Rapunzel gave me that!”

“That’s too bad. You should have thought of that before you tried to leave.”

Without losing the calm look on her face, Cassandra threw the bird to the ground. It instantly smashed into dozens of pieces that flew around the room. She picked up the notebook.

“NO!” the boy screamed, trying to reach for it with his free hand. His body strained as he attempted to get the notebook back. “Please, Cass! My dad gave me that for my fourteenth birthday!”

“Oh well.”

She tore the book in half, down the spine, and started ripping pages out of it. Tears started pouring down his face and he dropped to his knees as a black rocks burst from the floor and split the notebook into strips of paper that floated around the room. His arm was still above him, attached to the wall, but Varian couldn’t bring himself to care. Two of his most prized possessions had been destroyed right in front of him. He could only whimper as the warrior pulled the dagger off the shelf.

“I will be keeping this. It is rather nice.” It was strapped to her leg only a moment later. “If you follow the rules, then Ruddiger will be returned to you and you will be taken care of. But if you break the rules, I can’t say that these will be the only things that you lose.”

Through his tears, Varian yelled, “You haven’t even told me what the rules _are_!”

Ignoring him, Cassandra continued.

“Also, we have guests staying with us.” At that moment, Andrew walked up and leaned against the archway. “You need to be on your best behavior or your punishments will come from them.” A collar of black rocks formed around his neck, the rocks around his wrist falling away. Dragging his weary body over to the remains, he scooped as many pieces up as he could and held them close to his chest. His tears dripped onto them, ruining the scraps of paper he had collected. “Just one last punishment,” she explained.

The pair disappeared as the wall closed again.

“Good job with the kid,” Andrew muttered as they walked. “That should keep him in line for a while.”

“Shove off,” Cassandra growled. “Go back to your rooms at the bottom of the tower before I drop you there.” A few rocks under Andrew’s feet pulled apart, creating a hole that he had to leap away from quickly.

An angry retort was shot her way but she didn’t listen and returned to her own chambers. He had deserved the scare anyway. Inside, her mentor was waiting for her. Noticing her, she rolled her eyes and closed off the entrance.

“What do you think you are doing?” the girl called.

“What do you mean?”

“You are trying to mother that child,” she explained. “I do not understand how that will help you with your destiny.”

Once again, she ignored the comment and laid down on her bed. She had a lot of plans and if they were slightly different than the ones her mentor had for her, then so be it. If anyone knew what her destiny was meant to be, it was her, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After his attempt to escape went wrong, will Varian try again?


	16. Snapped

The attack on Corona was only days away and Varian had been hard at work, trying to finish up preparations. With Ruddiger taken away, he was doing anything that was asked of him in order to get him back. Each morning he was let out of his room and walked to the lab where he was locked inside with one of the Saporians keeping an eye on him. A chain made from rocks was closed around his ankle before the room was sealed off so he couldn’t run while the room was open. Today he was locked in with Andrew who seemed far too pleased with the situation.

As he worked, the Saporian twirled a knife between his fingers. The knife was the one that had been in possession until very recently, it was the one Eugene had given him as a gift upon his return from the Dark Kingdom. It infuriated him that a man he hated with every fiber of his being was in control of something so important to him from someone important to him. There was only a bit more he had to do before he could retire for the night.

Walking over to his lab table, he tripped over the chain around his ankle. Behind him, he heard Andrew snort.

Glaring, he looked at him over his shoulder.

“Have something to say, _Hubert_?” he sneered.

The grin slipped off his face as the alchemist used the name he had learned from Cassandra.

“Shut up,” the man snapped back.

Feeling a twinge of self-satisfaction from the angry response, Varian faced him completely. Joy was something he had lost weeks ago and was eager to feel again.

“Oh I’m sorry,” the alchemist mocked, putting a hand on his hip and leaning forward. “Did you not appreciate my use of your _real_ name?” He laughed. “Oh well. It fits you. It’s just as _idiotic_ as you are.”

The Saporian stalked forward, glaring harshly at him.

“You’re gonna regret that,” he warned. “I would take that back if I were you.”

Varian knew it was a bad idea but he felt cocky. This was the best time he’d had since his arrival in the cottage turned tower.

“Why?” he pushed, fear absent from his body. “If you tried to do anything, _Cassie_ wouldn’t let you.” He pushed his finger into the man’s chest. “She’s your boss, right?”

“No woman is in charge of me!” Andrew yelled, lunging forward and shoving the boy to the ground.

Hitting the ground, Varian yelped and tried to heave the other off of him.

“Let me go!” he demanded, trying to wiggle out from under him. “Cass won’t like this!”

“I don’t care what she thinks!” Forcing the boy onto his stomach, he ignored the cries for him to stop. The shirt and vest he was wearing was torn from him with the knife the Saporian had been holding. “I would stay still if you don’t want this to hurt more.”

“ _What_ hurt more? What are you talking-?”

He cut himself off with a scream as he felt the tip of something sharp pierce his back, pushing deeper into his skin. It dragged down a few inches then was pulled back. Taking a breath to calm himself, he started to yell at Andrew again when the pain returned. It continued while he screamed over and over. Where was Cass, he wondered. Why hadn’t she come to help him?

“Get off of him!” he heard another voice call from behind the pair and the weight on his back was shoved off him. “Get out of here, Hubert!”

Unable to focus on anything but the pain, Varian sobbed to himself and waited to be hurt again. He curled in on himself, crying into his knees. His back wasn’t protected but the rest of him was and that was the best he could do for the moment.

A hand touched his shoulder and he let out a shriek of terror, trying to pull away. The hand gently rolled him back onto his stomach causing him to lash out. He didn’t want the pain to start again so he kicked his legs and thrashed his arms.

“Varian! Varian, stop” the voice called to him. “Varian, I’m just trying to help you!” A quick glance told him that Andrew was gone, replaced by only Cassandra in the sealed room. The absence of the man who had hurt him only moments ago allowed him to begin to calm down. “I need you to stay still so I can take care of your back.” She swiped her finger through the blood on his back and held it in front of his face.

“What are you-?”

The alchemist passed out before he could finish his sentence.

That should keep him out for a while.

Cassandra took a moment to look over his back. It was covered in blood but she couldn’t tell exactly from what. She grabbed the first aid kit from the corner of the room and set it open beside his prone body. A cloth was also snatched and dampened which she used to wipe off his back.

The cuts were deep so she stitched them closed with black rocks that were as thin as thread. She would have used a needle and true thread but there was none in the kit. Working quickly, she only paused to clean off his back every so often. As she finished, she glared down at the word she had realized was carved into his back.

 _Traitor_.

She was furious but she had to put it aside for the moment. Bandages were tightly wrapped around his chest and she tied them off. The alchemist was once again scooped into her arms and carried to his chambers. He was laid on his bed and tucked in tightly. She would return to check on him in the morning but she needed to confront a Saporian right now.

The man was found waiting outside the lab, smirking.

Black rocks sprouted from the walls and encased his wrists and ankles, trapping him in place.

“I don’t know what you were thinking,” Cassandra began, approaching him. “But you are going to regret that.” The rocks tightened, squeezing his bones and threatening to snap them. “I _never_ said that you could hurt him. I didn’t even say you could _touch_ him.” More rocks appeared around the warrior. “I saw the cool _tattoo_ you gave Varian and thought you would want a matching one.”

Screams once again rang out in the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time coming but Andrew has finally struck.


	17. The final incantation

A strange, purple void stretched out as far as the eye could see. The platform he was standing on seemed to be the only thing in existence and he walked around it, trying to figure out where he was and how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was a searing pain in his back, Cass yelling, and then blackness. He knew all of that had happened in the tower he had been living in for months. This couldn’t be in the tower, could it? Had he escaped? Had he _died_?

“Oh don’t worry, you’re still very much alive,” someone called. “This is only a dream.”

Gasping in surprise, he looked around for whoever had spoken.

“Hello?”

A small girl appeared before him causing him to stumble away in shock.

“Hello to you too, dear alchemist.”

“You know who I am?”

The girl smiled at him. He thought it was meant to be comforting but it came across as creepy instead.

“I do, Varian. I know a lot about you.” She peered at him. It felt like she was examining his very soul and he wrapped his arms around his chest, very uncomfortable. “I know that you are one of the most intelligent people of your generation. I know that your friend, Cassandra, kidnapped you under false pretenses. I know that you want to escape from the tower she imprisoned you in and return to your friends and family.” She stepped closer to him and he backed away, worried about his safety though he wasn’t sure why. What could this tiny child do to him? “I also know a way for you to do so.”

His feet reached the edge of the platform.

“W-What?”

Growing suddenly, the girl towered over him.

“I can help you escape,” she explained. “All you need to do is use the Sun to see the Sun.”

Confused, he tried to move away from her and fell, his screams reverberating around him.

Varian woke with a start, haunting words echoing inside his head. Scrambling to his feet, he felt pain erupt across his back as his skin tugged on the wounds. He ignored it for a moment, dashing to his desk to write down the words ringing in his ears.

_Use the Sun to see the Sun?_

How was he meant to do that? Looking around the room, he lamented the loss of his window. He needed the Sun to solve the riddle but Cassandra had the only window in the tower he knew of in her chambers.

As he tried to think of a way to access a window with the scroll, the wall to his chambers slid away allowing Cassandra inside.

“Varian!” she cried in shock, hurrying to his side. “You shouldn’t be up! You need to rest so you don’t reopen your wounds!” She turned him around gently and groaned when she noticed red bleeding through the white bandages. The alchemist was led back to his bed and the bandages were unwrapped before being shown to him so he passed out again. Catching him as he swayed, she gently laid him down. “Good.”

The thread she had bought that morning was set beside his body. Slowly she removed the rocks that had been holding the wounds closed and properly closed them with the thread. Assessing the wounds, she deduced he would need at least a few days of bedrest. The attack on Corona would have be delayed a little. She needed her alchemist in top condition when the siege began.

The room was dark and depressing and wouldn’t motivate him to stay put. She created a small window by his bed that he could look out while he rested but was too small for him to fall out of accidentally. Also a short chain was attached to the collar around his neck while the other end connected to the wall. Hopefully that would be enough to make him rest.

* * *

Varian’s back healed well and he was back at work within the week to Cassandra’s dismay. She tried to keep him in bed longer, still trying to chain him to the bed, but he had refused to stay down any longer. Giving up, she now only fussed at him for being up when she didn’t think he was ready. Instead of the Saporians, only Cassandra would watch him in his lab. Andrew had been locked in his chambers though he wasn’t in any state to be up either way.

The last few days Varian had spent finishing the last automaton that had been requested of him. This was the largest one he had ever made which could fit several people inside but also required someone to operate it. Due to his obedience, Ruddiger had been returned to him and was assisting him in completing the giant machine.

This was the last day he needed, though he was wary of telling Cassandra that. He wanted to hold her off from attacking Corona as long as possible, possibly convince her not to if he could. Today he was planning on sneaking another message to Rapunzel. She needed to know that Cassandra and her army would be invading Corona soon.

The Sun had risen only a few minutes ago and Varian was at his desk, writing his note to Rapunzel. His elbow bumped an empty beaker next to him, causing it to slide onto the unrolled scroll at the edge of the desk. Glancing at it out of the corner of his eye, he realized there was a secret on the back of it. The note was set aside for the moment as he moved the beaker back and forth, quickly reading the message which he realized was another incantation.

Rapunzel needed to know this! He scribbled it at the end of the note and called his best friend to his side. Once again, he attached a note to the raccoon’s neck. A rope was tied around his belly.

“You know what to do,” he whispered. The raccoon softly patted his cheeks before leaping onto the windowsill. “See you soon, bud.”

Varian carefully lowered Ruddiger to the ground and watched him wiggle out of the loose knot. The animal waited only a moment before running out of the grove. Soon Rapunzel would know of the danger waiting just around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The incantation is on its way to Rapunzel. Hopefully it'll make it to her.
> 
> I apologize for not posting a chapter yesterday. In between two weeks of daily posting, writing over a dozen chapters (I hadn't written any of them before I started daily posting so I didn't have a backlog to draw from), updating/rewriting my outline for this fic, joining protests, and dying my hair a new color (which took 5 hours in one day), I decided to take a day off for some self-care. I don't plan on taking another day off until this fic is over. Sorry for skipping but I hope you understand!


	18. A change of heart

The visit to the tower had only increased Rapunzel’s worry for her young friend. It had shown her that he really was trapped with her ex-best friend and the lengths she was willing to go to keep him doing what she wanted. From what she had seen, he hadn’t been injured but he had also been rather far away from her, any injuries could have been simply overlooked from the distance. And even if he wasn’t hurt then, days had passed and he could have gotten hurt since she left. Quirin had demanded to know what had happened upon her return to the castle without his son. It had been difficult to tell him that she had needed to leave him for his own safety and that, from what she had seen, he was alright. He had stomped out of the room to control his anger lest it get the better of him.

Unfortunately Eugene hadn’t been quite so eager to leave her alone with her thoughts. The man had followed her back to her room and let her vent her frustration to him. Of course he was upset as well but he had to contain it for her sake. Currently, he was speaking with the guards about the upcoming attack that Varian had written of and letting her rest in the garden. A familiar scratching sound reached her ears and she turned to see Ruddiger scrambling over the garden wall.

“Ruddiger!” she cried happily, hurrying over to him. She noticed another letter tied to his neck. “Varian!”

The animal leapt into her arms and she dropped on the spot to remove the message that she knew the alchemist had risked his safety to send her. That was the most important thing at the moment. As she read, she slipped Ruddiger some treats from her purse. She now knew how far he had traveled to help his boy and wanted him to regain his strength. However, this time she wasn’t going to send him back and would keep him in the castle. The last time she had sent a reply it had ended badly for Varian and she didn’t want anything else to happen to him.

“What the…?” She read the words that had been hastily added to the end of the letter. “Another incantation?” Standing quickly, Ruddiger slipped from her lap. “Stay here, Ruddiger. I’m going to get Varian back. Go find Eugene and wait for us to return.”

The raccoon seemed to understand and ran for the castle. It might have been a good idea to tell someone where she was going but she couldn’t wait any longer. If she didn’t return by nightfall she knew that Eugene would come after her and Ruddiger would be able to lead him to her.

The trip flew by as she pushed Max to run as fast as he could. Only a few hours later she was standing at the base of the black tower again.

“Cass!” she yelled. “Come out here! I need to talk to you!” The tower remained sealed while she tapped her foot impatiently. “Come on, Cass! Don’t leave me out here!”

Some of the rocks disappeared before her eyes.

“Ugh, fine,” Cass muttered as she stepped out, the entrance sealing again behind her. Glaring, she crossed her arms. “What do you want?”

Once again Rapunzel was shocked by the cold attitude her old friend was giving her.

“Cass, please listen to me,” she begged. “You need to let Varian go. He doesn’t deserve this. He’s just a kid. He shouldn’t be in the middle of a fight you have with me.”

Across from her, the warrior rolled her eyes.

“Is that the only reason you came back?”

Nodding, Rapunzel replied, “Yes, Cass. I failed him last time but I won’t this time. I’m willing to fight to take him home.”

Sounds from outside his window drew Varian’s attention. Sticking his head out the window, he looked down to see both Cassandra and Rapunzel yelling at each other. Both were darting around the grove, using their own powers to try and destroy the other. Suddenly the blonde stopped and while Varian could see her mouth moving, he couldn’t hear any words. A brilliant yellow light exploded out of the princess, knocking Cassandra away. Varian had to throw an arm up to cover his eyes and when he lowered it, he gasped. The front of the tower was in ruins while Cassandra was laying on the ground, yards from where she had been standing.

“Cass!” he called, worried for her.

Hearing his voice, Rapunzel looked up at him and smiled.

“Varian!” She moved closer. “Don’t worry! I’m taking you home!”

Hope rose in his chest and he rushed to his desk, starting to pack all his belongings into his bag. He carefully placed the remains of his prized possessions on the top and fastened the clasps.

Below him, at the base of the tower, Cassandra was pushing herself to her feet.

“You are not taking him away from me!” she screamed, furious. “He belongs with me!”

Rapunzel approached her.

“Listen to yourself, Cass. This isn’t healthy. You need to let him go. Stop the war you’re planning and join us. I can help you both.” She gestured toward the window Varian had been watching from. “If you won’t listen to me, please listen to him.” A pleading look crossed her face. “How many times has he asked you to stop? How many time has he asked you to go home? How many times have you ignored his pleas?” She extended her hand to the woman she used to call her best friend. “Come back to Corona with me. We can fix all of this. Please, Cass.”

Unbeknownst to the pair, a small girl was observing them closer. She was curious what Cassandra would say. There was no way she would agree to that, not with all her whispering in Cassandra’s ear.

The woman in question appeared to be hesitating. She kept glancing between the princess in front of her and the window she knew her boy was behind. Slowly, she reached out and took the blonde’s hand.

“Alright. Just give us a day? I need to dismantle everything Varian made before we can join you. Meet me back here tomorrow night with the guards and I’ll come with you. I’ll even turn in the Saporians.”

Smiling, Rapunzel pulled the warrior close and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you, Cass! I knew you would do the right thing!”

The girl’s face turned dark, seeing her pawn straying from the path she had laid down for her. How dare she just decide to go back on everything they had been working toward? Slipping back into the tower, she glanced at the sealed entrance to the alchemist’s room. At least with a slight adjustment, things could continue. She waited for the warrior to return, hiding in the shadows to attempt to still appear ghostly.

The warrior passed her, slipping into the boy’s room. The bits and pieces she could hear told her that she was explaining the new plan to him. How they would return to Corona the following evening after destroying all the dangerous equipment he had constructed and repackaging the safe concoctions. The boy sounded pleased and she heard a quiet _oof_ as the breath left her lungs as he hugged her tightly in his excitement. When she left the room, she didn’t bother to close the room again as he was no longer her prisoner. Thinking of everything she needed to get done the next day and knowing it would be an early morning, Cassandra retired to her own chambers.

The girl waited almost an hour for both residents of the tower to be asleep then slipped down to the chambers the Saporians had been residing in. The damage the tower had sustained had blown a large hole into the wall of their chambers and she easily climbed inside.

“Courageous Saporians,” she called, gaining their attention. “I regretfully inform you that Cassandra has turned against you. She has decided to rejoin the crown and has vowed to return you all to prison tomorrow evening. If you do not wish for this to happen, listen closely. We can still conquer Corona without her, using this.” Out of her pocket she pulled a large, blue stone that she had taken from Cassandra’s chambers. “Once we leave, I will explain what it is and how to use its power.” Hungry eyes watched her slip it back into her pocket. “We also require the help of the alchemist sleeping at the top of this tower. One of you will need to get him without waking Cassandra while the rest come with me to prepare our attack.”

Without any prompting, Andrew hurried out of the room. He grinned when he noticed the wall to the boy’s room was missing. Stepping inside, he noticed that the boy was, in fact, asleep with a packed bag on the floor beside him. Carefully walking around it, he scooped the boy up and rushed out of the tower. As he descended the tower, the boy curled into him, oblivious as he slept. He glared at the boy, his movement was pulling on the new wounds Cassandra had given him. His back was burning where the stitching was trying to split and his hand was agony from where his fingers were missing. However he endured the pain, dreaming of how he would pay the boy back.

The girl and the other Saporians were waiting at the shed that housed all of the weapons Varian had created for Cassandra. They were already packaged for the siege so there was little preparation they would actually need to do.

“Bring him here,” the girl called from beside the largest automaton. Following her orders, he carried the alchemist over to her. She looked down at his sleeping face and ran her finger along his cheek. “I can see why Cassandra was so fond of him. He’s quite adorable when he’s asleep, isn’t he?” The Saporians murmured around her, most sounding unsure about her comments but other agreeing. “Well, load him in with the rest and I will take care of things from there.” With a short nod, Andrew stepped into the large machine. “We depart at daybreak,” the girl declared, grinning triumphantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zhan Tiri is making her move since Cassandra fell off the path. At least Andrew and the Saporians are still filled with rage that she can use.


	19. Gone

Sunlight fell across Cassandra’s face, slowly rousing her. Yawning, she sat up and remembered her plans for the day. Today, she and Varian would destroy everything dangerous he had made and return to Corona. There was a high probability she would be thrown into jail for her crimes but it was what she deserved after kidnapping, manipulation, and several counts of treason. However, that wouldn’t stop her. She needed to accept the consequences of her actions but first, she needed to find Varian.

As she approached the boy’s chambers, she felt fabric brushing her legs. Confused, she looked down and noticed that her black rock armor was gone.

“What?” she muttered, pausing. Where did the armor go? What happened? Gently touching her chest, she realized the Moonstone was missing. Who had taken it? “Varian!” she called, hoping he would know where the Moonstone had gone. She hurried to his room. “Varian! Varian, do you know-?” She froze. The entrance to his room was open but the alchemist was nowhere in sight. “Varian…?”

Slipping into the room, she peered around. Where had he gone? Why was everything disappearing around her? She tripped over something and realized it was Varian’s bag. It was packed but he wasn’t in sight. Perhaps he had already started dismantling his creations? Grabbing it, she rushed to the lab. She hadn’t told Varian where she had been taking his machines and she assumed he would try to find them in his lab.

A quick visit to the lab showed her that he wasn’t there either. Worried, she started wandering through the many halls of the tower. Maybe he had gotten lost in the endless labyrinth? An hour passed and she still couldn’t find him, her concern growing with each passing moment. Stepping around a corner, she stopped. The chambers the Saporians had been confined to had a massive hole in the wall. Worse, none of them were in sight. Her mind made the connection her heart didn’t want to. Both Varian and the Saporians were missing. A terrible thought popped into her head and she ran out of the tower. Were Varian’s creations still-?

_Gone._

Skidding to a halt, she dropped to her knees in front of the shed. Not even a loose screw was left behind. The Saporians had taken Varian and were continuing the siege that she had abandoned. Quickly jumping back to her feet, she dashed out of the grove; Rapunzel had to know about this!

* * *

There were only a few hours left before sunset so Rapunzel was preparing to visit the tower once again. The guards had been alerted and were ready to leave as soon as she was. She had also informed the healers in the infirmary of a possible new patient. There was no telling what state any of the occupants of the tower would be in so it was best to be prepared. One of the healers had been tasked with joining the team in case there was an immediate need for medical attention. Horses were waiting in the courtyard, riders at their sides.

Satisfied that the group was ready, she approached Max. Varian was waiting for her and she didn’t want to make him wait any longer.

“Rapunzel!” a voice yelled, footsteps growing louder. Around her, guards drew their swords and, turning, she saw Cassandra running towards her. “Rapunzel!”

“Stand down,” she ordered the guards, meeting Cassandra at the gates. “Cass? Cass, what’s wrong?” Closer now, she realized the stark difference between the Cassandra from yesterday and the one standing before her currently. “What happened to the Moonstone?”

Grabbing her arm, Cassandra tried to force out her words between gasps for air.

“V-Varian! H-He’s…h-he’s gone!”

Rapunzel felt her heart stop.

“W-What?”

“H-He’s gone!” the warrior repeated. “And so are the Saporians! I think they’re on their way to attack Corona!”

They needed a private place to discuss this.

Facing the guards, Rapunzel declared, “The rescue mission is cancelled. Cassandra and I need to talk and determine what our new plan will be. Invaders are on their way.” She addressed Eugene, “Call the guards to the war room. We will join you as soon as we can.”

With a glance at the warrior turned traitor next to her, Eugene leaned in close.

“Are you sure that trusting her is a good idea?”

“It will be fine," the blonde soothed. "She’s joining our side again.”

Understanding what the two were whispering about, Cassandra dropped her sword and removed all the daggers she had concealed on her body, tossing them into a pile and kicking them away.

“Is that good enough for you, Fitzherbert?”

The man hastily nodded and allowed the pair to scurry off to the princess’ room.

As soon as the door closed, Rapunzel rounded on her ex-best friend.

“Spill,” she demanded, eyes narrowed. She may believe that the warrior was starting down the right path again but that didn’t mean she trusted her completely. Cassandra could be as good an actor as she was a fighter. Nodding quickly, Cassandra knew she had once chance to convince the princess of the coming danger, both for the kingdom and for Varian.

“After you left yesterday, I informed Varian of the plans I told you. He was so excited to go home.” She glanced away, regret on her face. “When I woke up this morning, he was gone. His bag had been left behind though.” Slipping the bag off her shoulder, she handed it to the princess who poked through it as she continued. Trying to quickly tell her story, she explained how she had woken up without the Moonstone, couldn't find Varian and had tried to find him. She continued onto how she had found the hole into the Saporians' chambers and had realized that the instruments of war that Varian had created were also gone. “The last thing I noticed was the Mind Trap I had taken from the Spire was missing.”

Holding up her hands, Rapunzel stopped the woman.

“Wait, wait, wait. Mind Trap? Spire?” A confused look crossed her face. “What are you talking about?”

“I took a rune from the Spire that allows the possessor to control the minds of those who had sworn allegiance to the Moonstone. It can control both Adira and Hector.” Rapunzel gasped, hands covering her mouth. “I…I was going to destroy it yesterday but I didn’t see it before I went to bed last night. I thought that it was in the automaton that Varian had created and I would be able to destroy it in the morning.”

Ticking off on her fingers, Rapunzel recited, “So the Saporians, Hector, Adira, _and_ Varian are going to be attacking Corona?” Cassandra nodded. “We need to tell the guards!” The princess leaned forward. “Cass, what all did you have Varian make? We need to be prepared.”

Ashamed, Cassandra held out a piece of paper with a long list on it.

  * _10 Automatons_
  * _1 Mega-Automaton_
  * _300 Goo Traps_
  * _300 Stun Bombs_
  * _300 Acid Bombs_
  * _300 Burn Bombs_
  * _300 Poison Bombs_
  * _100 Smoke Bombs_
  * _100 Bubble Bombs_
  * _100 Shrapnel Bombs_
  * _300 Bombs_
  * _100 Spike Traps_
  * _10 Alchemy Belts_
  * _10 Orb Launchers_
  * _5 Catapults_
  * _5 Trebuchets_
  * _10 Battering Rams_
  * _30 Halberds_
  * _30 Pikes_
  * _30 Lances_
  * _30 Swords_
  * _10 Swords with Acid Tips_
  * _10 Swords with Poison Tips_
  * _10 Longswords_
  * _10 Battle Axes_
  * _100 Reinforced Shields_
  * _10 Maces_
  * _10 Flails_
  * _10 Bows_
  * _300 Arrows_
  * _10 Crossbows_
  * _300 Crossbow bolts_
  * _30 Sets of Manacles_
  * _300 Feet of Chains_
  * _300 Antidotes (Goo Traps, Acid Bombs, Burn Bombs, Poison Bombs, Bubble Bombs)_
  * _30 Complete First Aid Kits_



“Cass, this is way too much for such a small army!” Rapunzel cried, shocked as she read the list. “Did Varian really create all this?”

Cass nodded, not meeting her eyes.

“We…we thought people would want to join us so we made plenty.”

Looking up, the princess asked, “We?”

“My mentor…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The attack is right around the corner. Will they be ready against the Saporians?


	20. Preparation

Before the Sun had risen, the Saporians had joined the strange girl in the large automaton. Once again the large blue stone was shown to the group.

“This will give you control of the Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom,” she explained, handing it to Andrew. “They will fight tirelessly for you, turning against previous alliances or relationships. Not even family will be spared from their wrath. Take care of it. If it is broken, the influence will be lost.” She started for the machine’s controls but paused and turned back. “Oh, and your dear alchemist’s father is in that Brotherhood.” She walked away. “Do with that information as you will.”

A dark smile spread across Andrew’s face and he glanced at the boy who was still asleep in the corner. He would deal with him later. Right now, he had a coup to start.

Joining the girl at the front of the machine, he sat beside her. Following his directions, she steered the monstrosity to a nearby village. Weeks before, Andrew had sent word to the other disgruntled residents of Corona and those sympathetic to the Saporian cause. His letters had told them of the coming attack and that, if they should want to join the revolt, to gather in the small village. The previous night, Clementine had been sent to alert the people that the time had come and if they still wanted to take part, they needed to gather in the town square at daybreak.

The machine stopped and the hatch in the back opened to let those inside jump out. Landing in the square, Andrew was pleased to see that a small crowd was waiting for them. About 50 people were standing quietly, waiting for him to speak.

“Friends!” he called, taking a few steps closer. “I’m thrilled to see that you all want to join us in our noble crusade! We have plenty of supplies for you, crafted by Corona’s own little alchemist. He has generously prepared them so that our uprising will be unstoppable.” Behind him, the other Saporians dragged out the crates that Varian had carefully packaged. “Come forward and receive your armaments.” The group lined up and received plenty of weapons from the supply. Letting the others handle the dispersal, he hopped back into the automaton. He had already taken his share of the supply, a fully stocked alchemy belt over his shoulder while a sword and a coiled whip were strapped to his hips. “Things are going better than I expected,” he told the girl as he rejoined her.

“Did you believe your plan would fail?”

“Of course not.” Once again, he turned to look at the alchemist. “What are we going to do with him?”

Rising to her feet gracefully, the girl approached the sleeping boy.

“Don’t worry,” she replied, gently reaching out to the touch him. “I shall keep him here so he can’t escape.” Focusing on the Moonstone she had hidden on her wrist, she created black rock manacles around his wrists that attached to the pipe running along the wall that he was leaning against. Grinning at her success, she also attached a black rock chain to the collar Cassandra had stupidly forgotten to remove. Satisfied that he would be unable to move from that spot, she draped two strips of cloth on the collar around his neck. If he tried to get loud, he wouldn’t be for long. She faced the Saporian again. “You will lead the invasion and I will control this machine, following your orders.”

Crossing his arms, Andrew frowned.

“Why does the kid stay with you?” he demanded. “What if I want my old buddy with me?”

Trying not to lose her patience, the girl took a deep breath.

“If you believe having him at your side would be for the best, then by all means go ahead. However, who will repair this machine if it starts to malfunction?”

“I will command the machine,” he argued back.

The man was stubborn, too dedicated to his cause. That wasn’t the worst quality though. It was the trait that she could control, similar to how Cassandra’s wish for recognition was her folly.

Stepping closer, she kept her voice calm.

“That would be a fine choice. I must ask though, do you know how to operate this machine?” His face flushed at her words. Realizing something, he opened his mouth but she continued. “The alchemist cannot operate it for you. If he was allowed to be in charge, he would sabotage your attack. Even if it killed him, he would do so. You know this to be true.” Placing her hand on his arm to soothe him, she smiled. “And if you are in here, who will lead your troops?”

She knew she had him cornered, the frustrated realization crossing his face.

“Fine.” He stomped out of the hatch. “You control the machine and follow my orders.”

Smirking, she replied, “Of course.” Once he was back in the square, she closed the hatch. The sounds of the alchemist waking reached her ears and she stepped in front of him. “And now for you.”

Drowsy, Varian yawned and blinked slowly. The room was dark and fuzzy so he reached his hand up to rub his eyes. After a moment, he noticed that his hand couldn’t reach. Confused, he looked around and noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. This wasn’t the cottage or the tower. Had he escaped? No. That couldn’t be it. He had never seen this place before. As he pondered, he tried to reach his eyes again and finally realized the problem; his wrists were chained to something behind him.

“What the…?” he muttered, pulling against his bonds.

“Good morning, dear alchemist,” the girl called warmly, moving into his line of sight.

“What? Who are you?” The girl seemed oddly familiar but he couldn’t figure out where he had seen her. Suddenly it hit him. He reached out, trying to point at her, but only succeeded in bruising his wrists as the manacles firmly held him in place. “You! You were in my dream! Why are you here?! Where am I?!”

Patting his head, she smiled brightly.

“Very good, sweet boy.” He jerked his head away from her. He wasn’t a dog and he wasn’t going to let this odd girl treat him like one. “Cassandra has decided to forgo her destiny but I found a group more than willing to follow the path. I believe they are old friends of yours?”

Feeling dread growing in his stomach, he quietly asked, “The Saporians…?”

Again, the girl patted his head, Varian glaring at her.

“You truly are clever, aren’t you, child? It’s quite impressive for someone of your young age.” The compliment did nothing to quell the unease the alchemist was feeling. “Yes, the Saporians. They are rather eager to destroy Corona.” She leaned forward, only inches away from his face. Uncomfortable with the sudden closeness, Varian tried to slide away but his back was already flush with the pipe behind him. “From what I understand, you were once more than willing to help them with that goal. Isn’t that correct, dear alchemist?”

Ashamed of his past, he turned away.

“That…that was a different time,” he tried to defend. “I’ve done better since then. I’ve _been_ better!”

Seizing the opening, the girl tsked sadly and sat beside him. Varian scooted as far away as he could but she wasn’t dissuaded. Instead, she reached out and cupped his cheek, gently turning his face back to her with a sympathetic look.

“I know how hard you’ve been trying to do better but are you truly? All those weapons you made for Cassandra are now in the hands of dozens of angry people. Can you honestly say that is the success you were aiming for?” Unable to pull out of her grasp, he settled for simply glaring at her and trying not to let her words phase him. “You allowed Cassandra to steal you away, holding you prisoner and manipulating you into creating such dangerous items.” Varian tried to defend himself, indignant that she would even think to say something like that, but she just shushed him and rubbed his cheek with her thumb. “There there. I know it’s difficult to look back on your actions but can you truly believe that you had no idea what she was doing? That you didn’t follow her because you still wish harm and vengeance on Corona?”

“I…I…”

Did he want to do that? His mind screamed obviously not but his heart was wavering. He never asked for proof of the war she had spoken of so frequently. He had been content for so long to just continue creating. Had his previous friendship blinded him to what he was doing or had he known all along and tried to suppress it? He thought he wanted to be better, to make up for his mistakes, but did he actually want Corona to fall?

Noticing his distress, the girl pulled away.

“I will let you consider. I apologize for troubling you.”

She returned to the machine’s controls and grinned. He was just as easy to manipulate as all the others. Out of the glass in front of her, she noticed that all the people had been armed and were waiting on horses or in carts. Andrew was motioning for them to move out from his place in a balloon. Quickly starting the machine, she followed. The beast could easily overtake them all but she kept it moving slowly, wanting to let them reach the capital first. Behind her, she could hear the boy muttering to himself but she tuned it out.

Within an hour, the group could see the many buildings of the island city. Those riding in the carts jumped out, drawing their weapons and charged forward with those on horseback. Again she followed slowly until the machine was on the other side of the bridge. Once there, she could see how the people were already closing in on the palace. With a wide grin, the girl moved the arm of the automaton to crash into the nearest building. That would surely alert someone to the invasion. Stalking forward, she kept smashing the arms into buildings as the machine approached the palace. Guards scurried out, trying to fend off the attackers but were slowly being overpowered by the angry crowd. Some were slashing at them with swords or maces while others were using Varian’s various chemical compounds. Yells of surprise reached her ears as Adira and Hector blocked the castle’s entrance, preventing any from entering or escaping.

“Yes,” she whispered, full of a savage happiness.

_Corona would fall._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The war has begun. And of course there would be more people than just the eight people Cassandra was expecting. That wouldn't be nearly enough to overthrow an entire kingdom, even with all their extra abilites.
> 
> Also, yes Zhan Tiri is meant to be a little unsettling with how she treats Varian. The way she spoke about him in the show was rather off-putting but I continued that. However, she is nowhere near as bad as Obake in the Big Hero 6 series. Like holy crap, who allowed him to be around children?


	21. The invasion

The sounds of explosions rocked the castle, awakening all who resided inside its protective walls. Realizing that the invasion had started, Rapunzel leapt out of bed and hurried into a dress. Rushing to the door she was met by both Eugene and Cassandra. The pair were already waiting for her, fully dressed and weapons at their sides. As they dashed to the courtyard, maids and stewards ran towards them, eager to find a safe place to hide. Dodging around them, they continued on their journey.

Voices from inside the throne room caused them to stop and head in that direction.

“Mom! Dad!” Rapunzel cried, bursting into the room. Neither were in sight. The only people they could see was King Edmund and Varian’s father. “Oh, your majesty, Quirin. Are you both alright?”

The pair turned towards the group.

“Is my son here?” the farmer asked, looking around. “We heard the ruckus and came to see if he had returned and to make sure you were all safe. Dads worry about their kids.”

Beside him, the Dark Kingdom ruler smiled at Eugene.

Guilt washed over both women and they glanced at each other.

“I’m so sorry, Quirin,” the princess started, stepping closer. “We almost had him but someone got to him first.”

Unfazed, Quirin only asked once more, “So my son isn’t here?”

The princess shook her head, confused as to why he wasn’t concerned about Varian. He had been furious the last time she had failed to rescue the alchemist. Why didn’t he care this time?

Drawing his sword, the farmer’s eyes glowed a bright blue and he charged at the group, swinging fiercely. Shocked, the group split up to avoid the attack. Cassandra drew her own sword and parried the attack while Rapunzel whipped her hair around him, trying to prevent him from reaching the warrior.

Eugene found himself in front of his father.

“Dad!” he yelled over the clash of metal. “Quirin answers to you, right? Tell him to back down! Our fight is with the maniacs outside!” The king did nothing. He turned to repeat the order but faltered. The man’s eyes were glowing the same bright blue as the farmer currently attacking Cassandra.

“I’m sorry, son,” he replied, pulling out his massive axe. “I can’t do that. Corona must fall.”

Hefting the axe with his left hand, he brought it down where Eugene was standing. Leaping away, Eugene gaped at his recently returned father. What was going on? This was not the attitude he knew of either men. Muttering his own apology, the captain drew his sword and slashed at his father’s left side. He only intended to disarm, disable him from attacking until they could figure out what was wrong. However, his sword tore through the heavy cloak his father was wearing and bounced off the armor on his chest.

“What on Earth?”

The man chuckled above him.

“All these months later and you still haven’t realized?” Ripping the rest of the cloak off, he revealed a sight that made his son gasp. His arm was missing from the elbow down. “I lost my arm only days after you were born. I never tried to hide this from you.”

Using his shock, he knocked the man to the ground and raised his axe.

* * *

From where he was chained, Varian couldn’t see much of the battle raging outside the massive automaton however the girl kept him informed with a running commentary. She informed him when the guards were beaten down. She informed him when a citizen was injured or killed. She informed him as they approached the castle.

“Why do you want me anyway?” he demanded, trying to move into a position where he could see the fight for himself.

Rising from her seat, she left the machine to attack in her absence and walked back to him.

“I need my little engineer here in case something goes wrong.” The girl patted his cheek with a taunting smile. “After all, we’re _friends_ , right Varian?”

Growling, he tore his face away from her.

“I will never help you! If this machine breaks, then so be it! I’d rather die!”

Not losing her smile, she replied, “I think you will, dear alchemist. After all, your father is in this battle. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, would we?”

His face paled as he recognized the thinly veiled threat.

“Don’t…don’t hurt him,” he pleaded. His father was all he had left and he just got him back. He couldn’t lose him. “Please…”

“I won’t. I _promise_.”

The back hatch suddenly opened and Andrew threw himself in, panting heavily. Peering at him, Varian noticed the rough shape he was in. A bandage was wrapped around his palm that revealed the bloody remainder of his hand, all his fingers missing. His eye was black and swollen while his nose was crooked. The man’s back was bleeding and he could see a word staining the dirty cloth: _ass_. He laughed quietly to himself. Each curvy ‘s’ must have been _agony_ and he was callously happy that the man had suffered after pulling his stunt with the boy.

“Got something to say, brat?” the man sneered, jumping to his feet and wincing as it caused the long wound in his leg to throb under his weight.

“I was just admiring the tattoo Cass gave you,” he replied, smirking into his shoulder. “I don’t know why she wrote your _name_ though.”

Seething, the man stalked forward and slapped him, grinning at the red mark left on his face. The hit had forced his head to the right and he was able to look out the large window. From his vantage point he noticed that the front wall of the castle had been bashed in and inside someone familiar was lying in a pool of blood.

“DAD!” He struggled violently, trying to free himself. “You said you wouldn’t hurt him!”

“Oh sorry,” the girl mocked. “I guess I broke my promise.”

The word drove him to near insanity and he doubled his efforts to break out of the chains. Killing the unsettling girl was the only thing on his mind.

Watching the scene in front of him with a grin, Andrew decided to cut in.

“Since the kid is acting out, can I punish him?”

Varian froze.

No. No no no. Please don’t let her agree. Andrew wanted him _dead_. What would stop him from following through?

“If it pleases you,” she replied. “We require him alive though.”

“No! Please, no!” Varian begged, panicked. “I’ll sit here and be good! If something breaks, I’ll fix it! I’ll make whatever you want!”

Delighted at his pleading, Andrew withdrew his sword and slashed both of the alchemist’s cheeks. Using the pommel, he slammed his sword into his forehead. Blood ran down his face and caused him to scream in pain as it ran over the deep wounds on his cheeks. It burned and he couldn’t figure out why. Peering at the man in front of him, pain clouding his mind, he tried to understand.

Showing the boy his sword, he explained, “I grabbed one of the swords with the acid tips.” He watched with a sick satisfaction as the acid ripped through his skin, revealing muscle and bone underneath. “Works real well.” 

Tears pouring from the boy’s eyes only pushed the man farther and he retrieved the whip at his waist. Comprehending what the man was about to do, Varian tried to scoot away while more pleas spilled from his lips. With an exaggerated eye roll, the traitor pulled the pieces of cloth up from around his neck and tied them securely over his eyes and mouth. The boy still tried to beg but his words were muffled then cut off with another scream as the whip landed on his chest. It tore the thin shirt he had gone to bed in the previous night and left a long, painful welt. The boy’s pain only fueled the traitor’s glee and the whip descended again and again until he passed out, lying still against the pipe. He was no longer fun to play with so a nearby sheet was tossed over his unconscious body to keep it out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone else know that King Edmund was missing an arm? Like what??? It's only shown on screen for a single second.
> 
> Since the beginning of this story, I have been very intentional about not using the words 'promise' or 'wait' as they are both trigger words for Varian and Cassandra but Zhan Tiri doesn't care about triggering our boy.
> 
> Also, sorry the chapter is being put up a few hours late. I was at another rally.


	22. Rescue attempt

Quirin was wrapped up in Rapunzel’s hair, snarling as he fought to escape. Taking the opportunity, Cassandra struck him with the Shadowblade. Since he was Varian’s father, she didn’t want to seriously harm him but he had to be stopped. None of them were confident about what was causing the pair to swear destruction on Corona, but they had to find out and help them remember who they were.

The blow knocked him across the room and he slammed into a wall. Dazed, he swayed as he rose to his feet and charged at the women again. Not backing down, the warrior swung at him once more, catching him in the side. Blood spilled down his shirt and he yelled in anger. Rapunzel wrapped his hair around his ankles, sending him crashing to the floor. Dizzy and losing blood, he fell easily. He didn’t get up again as he smashed his head into the hard marble floor, knocking him unconscious.

Not wasting a moment, the pair turned to the other mesmerized man in the room. Stalking forward, the Dark King backed Eugene into a corner. The man tried to think quickly, the man before him was an incredibly skilled fighter, having done little else with his time for over two decades. Not to mention, he was also his father, if he believed the somewhat insane, old man. He would need to be smart and careful to attack him without hurting himself or his father. A crash caused them all to jump and turn to see the arms of a massive automaton had destroyed the wall into the throne room. Spotting an opening, the captain swung his sword at his father’s chest and ducked around him as he stumbled away.

“Run!” he shouted, the other two quickly following him out of the room. They dashed to the nearby library which was still intact. Shoving his sword through the door handles, Eugene collapsed the thick, oak doors as he panted. “We…we need a plan…”

The princess dropped into a chair, trying to think as she caught her breath. Around them, the castle continued to shake and chunks of stone fell as the automaton's arms continued smashing into the walls. Taking a position by the window, Cassandra tried to assess the situation. From her vantage point, she could see Adira and Hector viciously attacking any that attempted to enter or exit the castle. They would not be able to go that way unless they wanted another fight that they would be outmatched in; the two vastly skilled fighters. Dozens of unfamiliar people were attacking the citizens of Corona. Blood and bodies littered the courtyard from what she could see between the smoke released from Varian’s chemical compounds. A face she easily recognized caught her attention as it hurried away from the battle.

“Andrew,” she growled under her breath. The traitor crawled into the automaton that was obliterating the castle around them. “We need to get into that machine,” she declared, facing the pair. “Varian made it and if he was anywhere, it would be inside that monstrosity. My mentor would want him protected and in a position where he can maintain that beast.”

Joining the warrior, Rapunzel gently touched her arm.

“You didn’t tell us who your mentor was,” she whispered. “It would be helpful to know who it is and how to defeat them.”

With a sigh, Cassandra met the blonde’s eyes. She didn’t want to tell her the harsh truth that she had been avoiding herself.

“I don’t actually know,” the warrior admitted. “She never told me her name and no one else could see her. She was the one who informed me of my ‘destiny’ and led me toward it.” She scoffed and looked back out the window, avoiding the eyes of the other two. “We didn’t agree in the end. She didn’t approve of how I was treating Varian.”

Worried, Rapunzel’s grip tightened on her arm.

“Cass, please tell me you didn’t hurt him…”

“I didn’t touch him.” Worry lifted from the princess’ heart for only a moment. “But Andrew did…” A hard look entered her eyes. “I paid him back for that.” She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter now. We need to get to Varian and stop all this.”

“But how?”

“I’ll create a distraction,” Eugene called, drawing the attention of the women. “You get in there and get Goggles back.” Crossing to his side, Rapunzel hugged her boyfriend tightly. “Go get him, Sunshine.” He pulled back, meeting her eyes and cupping her cheek. “And if he’s hurt, give them hell.”

Rapunzel smiled at him and kissed his cheek before he retrieved his sword and ran back into the battle. Using his sacrifice, Cassandra grabbed a decorative lance from a nearby suit of armor as the pair darted back toward the throne room. Leaping into the air, the warrior jammed the lance into the automaton’s arm and used it to propel herself onto the back of the great machine. Moments later Rapunzel landed lightly beside her and they approached a small hatch. Pulling it open, Cassandra dropped down first. Not seeing anyone, she signaled the other could join her. The pair peered through the darkness. They knew Andrew at least was inside but they didn’t spot him anywhere so they headed toward the controls at the front of the machine.

“I’m glad you decided to return, Cassandra,” a voice called, making both jump in surprise. “I knew you would rejoin the correct side.”

Clenching her fists, the warrior fought the urge to listen obediently.

“Where’s Varian?” she demanded instead, watching her mentor step forward. “We came here for him!”

“You sound like the Sundrop,” the girl replied, rolling her eyes. “Didn’t she say the exact same thing to you twice before yet still left empty handed both times?”

“I’m not leaving without him! Nothing will stop me!”

Shocked, Cassandra turned to her.

“You can see her?”

No one else had been able to see her before, only Cassandra. Why could Rapunzel see her _now_? What was going on?

“Well of course she can, Cassandra. She helped me regain my physical form. You both did actually.” Noticing their confusion, she smiled. “Your fight back at the tower,” she explained. “It released me and allowed me to return to this world so I can destroy Corona.”

“Who…who are you…?” the warrior asked, wary of the answer.

“You should already know that by now. You have met many of my previous disciples after all.”

Gasping, the woman stumbled away from her. How had she not noticed? How could she have let a demon control her?

“Zhan Tiri…” she whispered, eyes wide and fearful.

The other woman wasn’t swayed, her worry for Varian’s safety outweighed her terror of the demon in front of her.

“Where’s Varian?” She repeated the warrior’s question.

“Why, Sundrop, he’s been right here the entire time.”

Grinning, she yanked a cloth off of a lump in the corner revealing a beaten and bloody alchemist. The chain around his neck seemed to be the only thing keeping him upright as he tried to determine where exactly the voices were coming. His eyes and mouth were still covered with the scraps of cloth, keeping from joining the conversation.

“Varian!” both women cried, moving toward him. “Release him!”

The sheet was tossed to the floor, the demon uncaring about where it landed.

“Why ever would I do that?” she asked, curious. “He had a great time working for Cassandra and myself, Rapunzel. You know that he can’t stay away from evil. He’s a _villain_. He is drawn to chaos and confusion. He craves it, the challenge, the power. We simply let him have it.”

Varian tried to defend himself, muffled yells echoing around the room.

“If he was so willing, so eager to help you, then why is he chained now? He should be out, fighting against me himself.” The princess stepped closer, reaching out to the demon. “This isn’t his battle. Let us take him home. _Please_ , Zhan Tiri.”

The demon laughed loudly, wiping her eyes with a gloved hand.

“Not his battle? Sundrop, have you even _seen_ the glorious war that is waging outside this machine? Have you even noticed who _made_ the very machine you are currently standing in? Your dear alchemist crafted all the weapons that are being used against your citizens at this very moment! He became a key part of this war months ago when he started creating these weapons believing they were for you!” Ashamed of himself, Varian shouted his apologies but they were too stifled to be understood by either of his would be rescuers. Clucking sympathetically, the demon ran her knuckle down his ruined cheek which he pulled away from violently. The action caused a weak whimper to escape his mouth and the two women seethed. “I know, sweet boy. Your friends lied to you and used you so you had no choice, did you?” Her tone was honeyed and quiet, but it only made the other inhabitants more uncomfortable. The alchemist whimpered again and anger bubbled in the stomachs of both Cassandra and Rapunzel. “You only did what you thought was right but once again, your good deeds caused people to get hurt.”

The cloth around his eyes grew wet as he began to cry, choking on the identical strip covering his mouth.

“Take that off of him!” Rapunzel yelled, fury at the demon and terror for her friend battling in her chest. “He can’t breathe!”

Reaching forward, the demon pulled the cloth loose and allowed it to fall onto the rock collar around his neck. Finally realizing what it was, the rage the princess was barely containing spilled over.

“How _dare_ you put that on him?! Remove it this instant!”

The demon wasn’t fazed.

“Sorry, Sundrop. I didn’t collar him.” She grinned again, a cruel reminder of her true nature. “Your dear friend _Cassandra_ did.”

Shocked, she turned to the woman who had joined her to save the boy.

“Cass! How could you?!”

Fumbling to explain herself, she forced out, “I only put it on for his safety! I was going to take it off but he was taken before I could!”

A scream interrupted Rapunzel’s reply and glancing at Varian she realized it came from him. Fresh blood was running down his face from three deep scratches extending from the gash on his cheek. Standing at his side, uninjured hand harshly squeezing his shoulder was a man they both recognized.

“Hello ladies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally get to him again but will they be able to rescue him this time? Our girls are certainly going to try but will there even be a boy left to save?


	23. Rescue attempt part 2: the tragic end

The warrior watched her boy trying to blindly squirm away from the man who had abused him and she couldn’t stand it. Drawing her sword, she leapt at him. She slammed him into the ground, pinning him in place with her blade through his chest.

“A-Aww, C-Cassie,” the man panted out as blood spilled from his mouth. “D-Didn’t know you wanted me that b-badly.”

Glaring, she forced the weapon deeper into his body.

“Shut up, _Hubert_. I’m more than happy to end your life quickly but you don’t deserve that after everything you’ve done to Varian.”

While Cassandra dealt with the traitor, Rapunzel focused on Zhan Tiri and Varian. The demon was simply watching the pair struggle on the ground and the alchemist was weakly jerking his body around, trying to free himself. Using the demon’s distraction, she began whispering the incantation Varian had taught her under her breath. Her hair began to glow and the manacles around the alchemist’s wrists fell away.

Noticing something was happening, the demon focused on her.

“What are you doing? Stop that!”

Ignoring her, the princess continued whispering, quickly catching the boy as he fell when the collar disintegrated. The glow from her hair grew brighter, blowing holes into the automaton and causing it to rumble dangerously. Zhan Tiri rushed towards her but a golden blast knocked her away.

“Rapunzel, get him out of here!” Cassandra yelled as machinery fell around her. A massive piston fell, separating the women. “I’ll be right behind you!”

“But Cass-!”

“Just _go_!”

Holding the boy tightly in her arms, she took one last look at where her friend had been before running to one of the holes in the wall and jumping out to land in the courtyard. She dashed towards the castle, dodging between frozen people who couldn’t tear their eyes away from the machine that was falling apart above them. As she ran, Adira and Hector gasped and dropped to the ground. A twinge of worry tugged at her but she put it aside for the moment. With them incapacitated, the doors to the castle were unguarded and she was able to rush inside. Eugene was waiting for her just inside the doors and he hurried to her side, breath hitching when he noticed the state of the boy she was carrying.

“Oh, Varian,” he muttered, reaching out and gently touching his cheek. His hand was pulled back sharply when the boy whimpered and curled into the princess. “Sorry, kid.” The man looked around. “Wait, where’s Cassandra…?”

Rapunzel carefully slipped the boy into Eugene’s arms.

“Take him to the infirmary,” she ordered. “I’m going back for her.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and darted back to the courtyard. Gasping, she skidded to a halt. The automaton was in ruins around her with neither of the occupants inside. As she stood motionless, guards rushed at the invaders and took advantage of their distraction to turn the tide in their favor. Many of the people were rounded up and forced into a police wagon for the moment, few escaped while the rest of their compatriots laid dead around them. The coup was being quelled around her but she couldn’t find any joy in that information. She wouldn’t be able to until she knew what had happened to Cassandra.

Slowly the courtyard was cleared. The traitors were taken to the docks to be loaded onto a prison barge so they could pay for their crimes. The injured were carried into the castle, Hector and Adira amongst them, while the dead were moved to the graveyard to be buried at a later time. Hours passed but Rapunzel refused to move, silently watching as the servants finally left the castle to start removing the broken pieces of the machine and clean up the courtyard. As the Sun began to set, Eugene joined her.

“Sunshine, you need to rest. They’ll find her. You can’t do anything right now.” Still she refused to move and the man sighed wearily. “Come on. Let’s go see Varian.”

The thought of the alchemist was enough to make her finally turn. She had abandoned him yet again and needed to check on him. Eugene took her hand in his and gently led her to the infirmary. At the door she paused, unsure if she could step inside and face the boy. It was all her fault he was in this position in the first place. What if he despised her now? What if he never wanted to speak to her again? She wouldn’t blame him.

Sensing her unease, her boyfriend squeezed her hand.

“Varian wants to see you,” he assured her. “He kept looking for you when you left. Lance and I had to hold him back so he wouldn’t run off after you. We reminded him you would be back soon and Lance kept him in bed until he fell asleep.” Sighing, he looked into her eyes. “I just want to warn you. The kid’s in rough shape.”

Nodding, she pushed the door open. She was ready.

The room was packed with people laying in beds while healers scurried about, tending to them. Groans of pains and crying echoed throughout the large room. As they walked, she recognized many of the men and women as citizens she considered her friends. Towards the back of the room the members of the Brotherhood lay unconscious. The four of them were tightly restrained to their beds.

“The healers are worried that they will try to attack Corona again once they wake up,” Eugene explained quietly. “We aren’t sure if the enchantment is still controlling them.” As they reached the very back of the room, a curtain separating the room met their eyes. “He’s not doing well. All the people freaked him out after being alone for months.”

The princess took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain. At the sight of the alchemist, she lost her nerve and ran out of the room, ignoring the others calling for her to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cass died that day. Please put an f in the chat to show your sympathy.
> 
> Just kidding. Or am I?
> 
> But seriously, I really appreciate all the comments that people have been leaving. I read them all with a smile on my face and try to reply to each one.


	24. When the guilt comes crashing down

Eugene found Rapunzel hiding in her room not even ten minutes after her sudden departure from the infirmary. Slipping in quietly, he saw her sitting on her bed with her hands over her face as she sobbed. He sat down next to her and pulled her against his chest.

“Sunshine, I know you’re going through a lot right now,” he soothed. “Your kingdom was almost overthrown, Cass is missing, Varian is hurt. There’s a lot you need to do and several things you need focus on.” He held her tightly, letting her cry into his shoulder. “But it will be alright. We can do this together. Just take it slowly. You don’t have to take care of everything all by yourself.” Rubbing her back, he continued, “Your parents can focus on restoring the kingdom and I’ll send the guards to look for Cass. Right now, you should spend some time with Varian. He really wants to see you.”

Looking up at him, tears still fell from the princess’ eyes.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “When I saw him just laying there…he…” She sucked in a breath. “He looked…dead. He wasn’t moving and he was _so pale_. He looked so broken…” Pulling away, she wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s all my fault that he’s like that. If I had never asked him to translate the scroll, if I had never sought his help about my hair, none of this would have happened. Cass would never have known about him and wouldn’t have gone after him. He’s just a child and we ruined his life! How can I possibly face him after all we’ve done to him? He must hate us!”

Eugene unwrapped one of her arms to hold her hand.

“He doesn’t though, Sunshine.”

Locking eyes with him, Rapunzel cried, “But he should! He should hate us! He should refuse to be anywhere near us! He should want revenge on us for all we’ve put him through!”

Smiling softly, he squeezed her hand.

“You know Varian doesn’t think that. He’s tried getting revenge before and felt even worse about doing so.” He freed her other hand, holding it gently. “You know how guilty he felt and _still feels_ about his actions. He doesn’t want revenge, he doesn’t want harm to come to any of us. What he wants is for someone he cares deeply for to be by his side and let him know that they still care about him.” He kissed her forehead. “I know you’re feeling guilty right now but he needs you. I think sitting with him with help you deal with some of that guilt and feel better. I won’t leave your side. You won’t be alone. I promise.”

Still not sure of herself, Rapunzel hesitated.

“Can…can we sit here just a few more minutes…?”

“Sure. We'll go when you're ready.”

* * *

Lance had held him tightly as he fought to get out of the bed they had deposited him in. There were people, _so many people_ , in the room and it was causing him to panic. He wanted to escape from the room, it was suffocating. All these people were stealing his oxygen, he couldn’t breathe! He wanted to run after Rapunzel. She would know what happened to his father and to Cass. He needed to find her. He started breathing faster and faster, soon hyperventilating as he struggled. Unfortunately the ex-thief was too strong and forced him to remain in the bed until he lost consciousness from anxiety and stress.

Feeling the boy in his arms go limp, Lance peered down at him. It seemed he had passed out so he laid him down as his breathing evened out. Now that he was still, he was able to finally get a good look at him. He knew that Cassandra had taken Varian three months ago and that Rapunzel had tried to rescue him twice without success thanks to Eugene keeping him in the loop. However, he had been told that the kid wasn’t injured but a quick glance told him that something had changed. The kid was beaten bloody and only more was revealed to him as healers hurried around him, taking advantage of his unconscious state. His shredded shirt was removed from his body along with his thin pants. Bandages fell in strips from his frame to show the damage his back had sustained. Healing salves and ointments were rubbed into the deep cuts in his back, the welts covering his torso and legs, and the gashes and burns on his face. The healers wrapped him in so many bandages that covered so much of his body that he appeared to be a mummy. Finally they carefully draped a blanket over him and scurried away to attend to other people.

Even as the boy lay, his face often scrunched up in pain and fear and his body jerked from side to side. He clearly wasn’t sleeping peacefully so he grasped his hand and started humming quietly.

Footsteps approached and he glanced up to see a large man staring at the kid in his lap. Feeling oddly protective, he glared at the man and held the boy close.

“How is he?” the man asked, sitting down in a chair on the other side of the bed.

Lance debated on how to answer. Enough people had been after this kid lately and he had done nothing about it. This was his time to do something.

“Who are you?” he decided to say.

“Quirin,” the man answered, still only staring at the boy. “I’m Varian’s father.”

Oh.

Well then.

Lance could tell this man the truth.

“He’s not well.” He pulled the blanket back to expose the bandages. “The healers aren’t sure how long it will take for him to recover.”

The man reached forward and gently put his hand on the boy’s head.

“My son has never been this hurt before, not even when he was working with his inventions. He’s been weak his whole life. I’m not sure if he’ll pull through or what state he’ll be in if he does.”

Lance watched the man. He could almost feel the man’s frustration and grief. Slipping out of the bed, he left the pair alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it safe to leave Quirin alone with Varian?


	25. A meeting interrupted

It was dark when Varian awoke. Several hours had passed since he had fainted and those still in the infirmary were sleeping peacefully. Unsure of what had awoken him, he struggled to sit up and look around. The sight of someone sitting at his bedside drew a gasp from him before a hand hastily covered his mouth.

“Ssh! You have to be quiet,” the person murmured.

Nodding, the hand was removed.

“Cass?” he whispered, shocked by the figure.

“Yes,” she affirmed. “I snuck in here to warn you. Zhan Tiri wasn’t destroyed with your machine. She managed to escape like I did but I lost her. I’m worried she’ll come after you again since she did previously.” The boy started to tremble, peering through the darkness around them. Cassandra put a hand on his arm to calm him. “I won’t let her hurt you,” she promised. “I’m going to stay by your side until she is gone.”

“Thank you, Cass.”

A slight smile crossed his face before slipping away at the soft sound of the infirmary doors opening. Worried for her boy, she tightened her grip on his arm so that no one could pull her away. Her sword was drawn and ready to attack the moment her target was near. Light footsteps drew closer until the curtain was pulled back, allowing a single person to join them.

“Cass?” Rapunzel asked with a gasp, hurrying over to the pair. She stopped short when she saw the tense grip the warrior had on the alchemist’s arm and the sword in her hand. Anger flashed on her face, gathering her hair in her hands to fight. “Let him go, Cass.”

Trying to defend herself, Cassandra quietly replied, “I’m only here to protect him. Zhan Tiri-.”

“Don’t lie to me, Cass. You took him once already, what’s to stop you doing it again? Zhan Tiri is dead so don’t use her as an excuse.”

Nervous to be caught between the two women, Varian tried to pull away but Cassandra refused to let go.

“You weren’t there, Rapunzel,” she argued. “I saw Zhan Tiri escape. I’m concerned that she’ll try to take Varian again.”

Stepping closer and holding her hair more firmly, the princess glared.

“The only one Varian should be worried about right now is _you_. You took him away in the first place and allowed all of this to happen. If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t even need to be in the infirmary.”

Guilt rose in the warrior’s chest as the words hit her. They were all thoughts that had run through her head before but to hear them spoken by someone who used to be her best friend _hurt_. Releasing Varian’s arm, she rose to her feet and held her sword out.

“I may have made mistakes in the past but I’m here now. Don’t forget that I helped you get him back from Zhan Tiri. I never once laid a hand on him and only want what’s best for him.”

The princess scoffed while Varian watched them both warily, anxiety rising with each word spit out. He reached out to them, wanting them to calm down. _Needing_ them to calm down. His voice was weak as he tried to appease them both and explain that Cass had been kind to him. Neither paid him any attention, too focused on the growing tension.

“Oh, you only want what’s best for him?” The princess mocked, voice rising steadily. “I’m sorry if I find that hard to believe. How was dropping him from a tower ‘best for him’?” Cassandra opened her mouth to reply. “Or breaking the Saporians out of jail and bringing them to him when they still want him dead? Or even kidnapping him in the first place!” She glared at the older woman. “Please clarify to me how those were in his best interest?”

Her frustration took over and she charged at the warrior, whipping her hair around her wrists to pull her away from the injured boy. All the guilt she had been feeling since seeing Varian chained inside the machine was fueling her and driving her to attack the woman she perceived as a threat. If she fought her and won, it would redeem her of all the mistakes she had made. All the times she had abandoned or hurt the boy behind the curtain. She would finally be able to start to heal.

The pair spilled out into the main area of the infirmary, leaping and slashing at each other. Around them, the occupants started to wake and healers hurried into the room to see what all the noise was. Neither paid them any mind, too focused on beating their own anger, guilt, sadness, and frustration out on her opponent.

The alchemist struggled out of the bed and stepped towards the women. He had barely made it three steps before another hand was slapped over his mouth and an arm was wound around his waist, hauling him away. Thrashing from side to side, he ignored his body’s cries of pain as he attempted to break free. Why was it that the moment something good was about to happen, he was stolen away again? Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? The two figures were slowly growing farther away as he tried to call out for help. Cassandra had said she wouldn’t leave him, that she’d protect him, so why wasn’t she now when he needed her? His cries went unheard and he was dragged through a doorway.

Not a soul was seen as he was forcibly moved down through the castle. Most of the inhabitants were asleep, resting after the hard-fought victory while the guards were still searching for Cassandra or standing watch outside the castle. He tried to fight against whoever was holding him but he was so tired, so weak, that it didn’t have any effect and he eventually gave up, saving his strength for later. Finally, they reached the dungeons and he was tossed inside a cell. Currently, all the cells were empty as the prisoners had been broken out to join the coup and had not been returned to the dungeons.

Landing painfully on his stomach, he peeked over his shoulder to see who had come after him this time. Squeaking in fear, he crawled as far away as he could and drew his knees up to his chest. Standing just inside the cell with him was the very demon who had taken him the last time. She smiled sweetly down at him, walking over to gently run her finger down his cheek. Again, he flinched and pulled away from her touch.

“My dear alchemist,” she started, still smiling in her eerie way. The look in her eyes showed only a deep possessiveness as she stared at him. “You thought you had escaped? You’re _mine_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought Zhan Tiri was done, think again.


	26. The black rocks return

Black rocks suddenly burst through the floor, forcing the two women to jump away from each other to avoid injury. After a moment of confusion, they both realized what had happened.

“Cass!” Rapunzel shouted, still angry at her old friend but now twice as much as she used her power against her. “Get rid of those!”

Stumbling back in shock, the warrior cried, “I-I can’t! I don’t have the Moonstone anymore!”

“What? Then who does?”

“I don’t know!” she replied. “But we have to get Varian out of here!” As healers assisted the injured in escaping the room, both women dashed back toward the bed the alchemist had been laying in. Yanking the curtain back, they gasped. “Where is he?”

The bed was empty.

“Maybe he already escaped?”

More black rocks shot up, driving them toward the door. Rapunzel used her own abilities to break as many as she could but they just kept coming. Grabbing her arm, Cassandra dragged her away as a sharp point sprang up where her foot had just been. Together, they ran from the invading rocks. A blunt rock threw the princess into the wall, knocking her unconscious. Not wasting a second as rocks drew closer, the warrior picked up the fallen royal and kept running. In front of her, she could see other terrified citizens being pushed out of the castle by the ever increasing amount of black rocks. The hallway she was hurrying down was slowly becoming impassible as rocks choked the available space.

Breaking into the courtyard, she continued carrying the royal in her arms as she followed the mass of escaping citizens. They were forced off the island and could only watch as the rocks destroyed the bridge, stranding them on the mainland. Eugene gently touched her shoulder and she spun to face him, assuming a defensive pose.

“Whoa, calm down. It’s just me.” He pointed over his shoulder where citizens were huddled. “We’re starting to build a camp and the healers are tending to any that were injured.” He led her over to a small offshoot of the clearing where a few dozen people were laying on the ground, watching her carefully lay the princess on a soft patch of grass. “We need to talk,” he whispered as soon as she straightened, jerking his head to the side to indicate a quieter spot. They walked into the woods and the captain leaned against a tree while the warrior dropped heavily onto a stump. “What happened?” he demanded. “You control those rocks so why did you attack Corona?”

Holding her head in her hands, Cassandra groaned in frustration.

“I don’t know. I don’t have the power of the rocks anymore. Someone took it from me and they were the ones who attacked Corona, not me.”

She explained how both Rapunzel and herself had been attacked by the rocks and how they had run, the princess getting hurt along the way. Choosing to believe her for the moment, he decided to address the other question that was burning in his head.

“Where’s Varian?”

Her head snapped up at the question.

“Wait, he’s not with you?”

Confused, the captain asked, “Why would he be? Rapunzel said she was going to visit him and I went to speak with the guards that were searching for you.” He paused for a moment. “Did something happen to the kid?”

Alarmed, Cassandra ran back to the makeshift camp, eyes darting around for the alchemist but not seeing him. She stopped a few people and asked if they had seen him but none had.

* * *

Zhan Tiri watched the citizens of Corona flee the castle with a wide grin. Beside her, Varian was sitting on the floor, leaning sleepily against the wall. Once again, he couldn’t see the destruction being caused in the castle around him. Sighing, he tried to fiddle with the collar that had been reconstructed around his neck. His forearms had been enclosed down to his elbows, keeping them together and a short chain tethered his arms to the collar. Above him, the demon chuckled lowly but he ignored whatever she was saying. Apparently that was the wrong choice as he was dragged to his feet by his captured arms only a moment later.

The demon pulled him down the hallways, removing rocks from their path, until they reached an undamaged guest room. She pushed him inside and allowed the restraints to fall apart. Not looking at her, he trudged over to the bed and laid down, facing the wall.

“That’s it?” she asked with a laugh. “No more fight in you?”

He shrugged, closing his eyes.

“What does it matter? You’ll still try to use me if I fight or not.” Curling up, he tried to find a position that was somewhat comfortable to lay in. “I’ve been locked in the dungeons, a cottage, a tower, my own automaton. A prison is a prison.” He breathed out slowly, starting to fall asleep. “At least this one is nice,” he whispered.

Watching him with interest, she considered if he was too broken to use. It didn’t matter she decided as she created bars on the windows with the rocks. She stepped into the hall and blocked the door with more rocks. Her goals were almost accomplished. Corona was empty, her rocks having driven them out. All she needed was the Sundrop that naïve princess still held selfishly. Her rocks had failed to keep the princess locked in the castle with her and her alchemist. She knew that they had knocked her unconscious but the foolish warrior she had been allied with previously had rescued her. Scowling, she paced the halls as she attempted to craft a new plan to seize the Sundrop. Once she attained that, she would be invincible and ready to start training her new disciple, whether he was willing or not. Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder at the blocked door her prize slept behind. Perhaps he would be of use in convincing the princess to part with the Sundrop. She had seen the care the woman had for the boy first hand and knew how powerful it was. A grin grew on her face. A new plan was starting to form in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the boy finally broken?


	27. Misconceptions and misunderstandings

Waking up, Rapunzel didn’t recognize her surroundings. The surface under her was harder than she was used to so she looked around. Above her head was a patchwork tent that was sewn from scraps of fabric. She didn’t remember starting another journey so she silently rose to her feet and padded out of the tent, peering around. A fire had been started nearby and she could see figures huddled close to it so she headed the opposite way. Trees stretched as far as she could see in every direction so she assumed she was in a forest, but which forest? Someone called her name and she hurried away from the voice.

“Rapunzel!” a second person called, worried. She recognized that voice. Pausing, she turned to see her boyfriend rushing to catch up to her. “Sunshine, you’re up. You should have told us.” Stopping in front of her, he smiled for only a moment; a frown quickly replacing it. “Where were you going?”

Feeling self-conscious, she fiddled with her hands.

“I didn’t know where I was,” she explained in a whisper.

Ashamed of himself, he pulled her into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Rapunzel. We should have stayed with you. I was just talking to your father about what to do since Corona was overthrown.”

The events of the day rushed back to her, drawing a gasp from her mouth. Her fight with Cass, the black rocks sprouting out of the ground, Varian missing, fleeing from the-

Varian!

Meeting his eyes, she asked, “Where’s Varian?” in an urgent tone. “Did you find him?”

The captain’s face fell into a look of deep regret.

“We can’t find him,” he answered truthfully. “We think he might still be in the castle.”

Trying to understand, she pushed away from Eugene and dashed deeper into the forest, yelling, “I need some space!” over her shoulder. He let her go, he would check on her later.

Finding a clearing, she dropped to her knees.

What had she done? She had promised to be there for Varian but she left him so she could what? Instigate a pointless fight with Cassandra? The woman hadn’t been hurting him but she didn’t know what she had been doing.

As if on cue, the bushes rustled as the warrior joined her, settling herself on the forest floor next to her.

“Running isn’t your usual style,” she said as a way of greeting, mindlessly pulling blades of grass. “You want to let me know what’s on your mind?”

Silence reigned for a few minutes while the princess considered. Finally she muttered, “Why were you with Varian? I thought you were dead.”

Beside her, the warrior sighed.

“I know,” she replied in a tired voice. “I needed you to. As I told you, Zhan Tiri wasn’t killed when the automaton was destroyed. We were trapped together for a short while and she kept muttering about getting back ‘the boy’ so I was worried about Varian. I snuck into the castle to protect him and warn him. I was going to move him to a safe location and send you a message when he was safe. No one would think to look for him with me since I would be presumed dead." She met Rapunzel's eyes. "You have the power to face Zhan Tiri that I don’t have anymore. Once you defeated her, you could send word to me and I would bring him back. Once I knew his safety was assured, I would leave forever.” She flicked a blade of grass away from her. “I was only trying to keep him safe but I’ve been pretty terrible at that, haven’t I? He’s been taken from under my nose _again_.” Resting her cheek on her knees, she took a deep breath. “I don’t deserve to be around him. I only cause him trouble and get him hurt.” She stood up and walked to the edge of the clearing. “I hope you get him back safely. I’m leaving so he won’t be in danger anymore.”

A small animal scampered into the clearing and jumped onto the princess’ shoulder. Glancing at it, she realized it was Ruddiger. What was he doing here? The last time she had seen him, the animal was still safe in the castle. If Varian wasn’t here, why was his raccoon?

“What’s that?” the warrior asked, stepping closer and pointing at the animal’s neck.

“A letter?”

Grabbing the paper, she carefully removed both it and the twine holding it in place. As she unrolled it, she realized she didn’t recognize the handwriting. It certainly wasn’t Varian’s messy scrawl so who had sent Ruddiger to her?

_Dear Sundrop,_

Oh. _That_ was who.

_You may be aware by now that your dear alchemist is missing. He is currently residing quite comfortably with me in my new castle. He is enjoying his time and does not even desire to leave. You may believe that I have ‘gotten to him’ and caused him to think that but I assure you that I have barely spoken to him. If you are still under the impression that I am holding him here under duress, you are welcome to return to the castle and see for yourself. The only thing I ask is that you come alone. The sweet boy has been overwhelmed by too many people and we do not want any further harm to come to him, do we?_

_If you do decide to come for a visit, please send your confirmation back with this animal so that we may be prepared._

_Pleasant wishes._

Reaching the end of the letter, she locked eyes with the other woman.

“Zhan Tiri has Varian. We have to get him back.”

Snatching the letter out of her hands, Cassandra quickly read through it and came to the same conclusion.

“We’ll have to be careful. Zhan Tiri is devious and must be planning something. If she wants you to come alone then she must want something from you.” She paused for a moment, thinking hard. “Why did she take Varian again? Did she not want to lose him or does she have a new plan? Did she only take him to lure you there?”

Both sat in silence as they considered what the demon had in store for the princess and the alchemist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story was meant to be over like 4 chapters ago but the outline just kept growing and adjusting to new ideas and plots while I'm desperately hanging on, trying to type frantically. The plan I had for the last couple chapters keeps getting pushed back, including for this chapter. It'll get written eventually...maybe next time??? Not a complaint, just a thought I had when working on this chapter.


	28. An offer extended

Allowing the rocks in front of the door to recede, Zhan Tiri let herself into the room her alchemist was sleeping in. Or had been sleeping in she realized as stepped inside to see him simply laying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Good morning, dear boy,” she called, closing the door behind her. “Did you have trouble sleeping? You seemed to fall asleep rather quickly last night.” He shook his head, still staring above him and unmoving. He seemed to be lost in his own head and she was going to pull him out of it. They needed to talk after all. Curling her fingers around the back of a chair, she pulled it over and sat down beside him. “Sit up.” Following her order, the alchemist sat up in the bed and leaned his back against the wall. “Good boy,” she praised, smiling and patting his knee. He didn’t even flinch as she removed his shirt and started unwinding the bandages around his torso. Pulling fresh bandages and some creams from her pocket, she checked the wounds closely. New healing creams were applied to the deep cuts on his back and the welts on his chest before she wrapped the fresh bandages around him. Once they were tied tightly, she focused on the gashes on his cheeks and the large bruise on his forehead. More bandages were applied to the injuries while he remained immobile. His shirt was gently pulled onto his shoulders and she helped him fit his arms through the sleeves. Finishing up, she spoke once again as she buttoned his shirt once more.

“Now, I would like to offer you a wonderful opportunity. I am willing to mentor you and help you develop your already impressive abilities.”

Blinking slowly, he asked, “Why would I want to do that?”

“If you recall, I have worked with Lord Demanitus in the past and I can teach you everything he knew. Is that not a worthy reward?”

The boy considered the offer.

* * *

Sneaking into the castle, Rapunzel looked around for the demon. Where was she? She had called the meeting so shouldn’t she be ready for her? The previous night, she had spent hours with Cassandra and Eugene forming a plan. They had decided that she would go alone in the morning and if she wasn’t back by midday, both Cassandra and Eugene would come after her. Cassandra had pushed to journey with her for her safety but Rapunzel had reminded her that Varian was already in danger and they didn’t want him in any further danger. The warrior hadn’t been happy but she had agreed to hang back and wait.

“Welcome to my new home,” a familiar voice greeted.

Spinning around, the princess spotted the demon standing at the top of the stairs. Beside her stood Varian, his eyes blank and staring at nothing. The demon’s hand gripped his upper arm to keep him at her side.

“Let him go!” she yelled, moving closer.

“You sound like a broken record,” the demon drawled. “If the boy wants to leave, then so be it.”

She released him arm but Varian didn’t move. Instead, he stood in place, eyes unfocused.

“Varian!” the princess cried, trying to urge him to join her. She was confused, why was he just standing there? Peering at his legs, she didn’t see any restraints preventing him from moving. “You can go home!”

Still he remained where he was. Smiling sweetly, Zhan Tiri patted his arm and whispered to him, “Why don’t you go lay down, dear boy? You’ve had a hard time lately, haven’t you?” Nodding, he walked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him return to the bedroom and close the door. Focusing on the princess who appeared shocked, she smiled at her. “You see? He is fine and would prefer to stay here.”

Stunned, Rapunzel didn’t know what to do. Something was going on but she couldn’t figure out what. Why would Varian want to stay? Didn’t he realize who he was choosing to stay with?

“What have you done to him?!” a new voice demanded.

Turning, the pair saw Cassandra storming into the room.

“Cass!” Rapunzel yelled in surprise. “What are you doing here?! You said you would stay behind with Eugene!”

Not tearing her eyes away from the demon, Cassandra replied, “I _lied_ , Rapunzel. Do you really think I would let you leap blindly into danger?” She scoffed. “I followed you, staying in the shadows, but I couldn’t stay back when I saw her with my boy.”

Confused, she asked, “Your boy?”

The warrior ignored her, determined to get some answers from the demon about why Varian was acting so strangely.

“Have you put a spell on him? Threatened him?”

Laughing lightly, the demon shook her head.

“Of course not, Cassandra. I have done nothing to him. He chose to stay here where his _friends_ will not hurt him anymore.”

Hurt, both women took a step back. Quickly coming back to herself, Cassandra charged at the woman, sword swinging. Black rocks appeared beneath her feet, shooting up into her path and causing her to stumble. She instantly realized something.

“You! You took the Moonstone!” the warrior cried indignantly, sitting up and pointing at the demon.

The demon simply rolled her eyes.

“Well of course I did, Cassandra. Who else do you think would have taken it? The Saporians? They wouldn’t even know how to use it and if they did, they would have during their invasion.”

“But how? You weren’t even physical!”

“Cassandra, I already explained that to you. Your fight with the Sundrop allowed me to return, remember? I was able to take the Moonstone that night as well as rally the Saporians to my cause.”

“You were the one to turn the Saporians on me?”

“Do you honestly believe that they would draw up that plan by themselves?” the demon asked, curious.

Using their argument to slip away, Rapunzel crept into the guest wing to seek out Varian. He wasn’t acting like his normal self and she wanted to figure out why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian has chosen to stay with the demon but why? Rapunzel is going to find out.


	29. Answers?

Holes in front of the door to a guest room seemed suspicious to the princess. The rest of the corridor appeared untouched so she approached the door, pushing it open quietly. Peeking inside, she saw Varian laying on the bed facing the wall. As she stepped inside, he turned and called, “Zhan Tiri?”

The words caused her to freeze where she was. Why was he calling to that demon? What had she done to him? Snapping back to herself, she stepped the rest of the way inside room and closed the door behind her.

“No, Varian,” she replied, quietly. “It’s me.” Peering through the darkness, he sat up to try to figure out who was in the room with him. “Rapunzel,” she clarified.

“Oh.”

With that, he laid back down and closed his eyes.

That was it? He didn’t care? He didn’t want to talk to her?

Crossing the room, she sat in a chair that was waiting next to the bed. The boy didn’t even glance at her, laying motionless in front of her.

“Varian,” she whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you want to leave? We can get you out of here.”

He shook his head.

“Why would I want to leave?” he asked in a low voice. “Zhan Tiri can teach me alchemy and sciences that I don’t know. I can learn so much by staying here.”

Leaning forward, she tried to make eye contact with him.

“You _want_ to stay here? With Zhan Tiri?”

The boy nodded, starting to fall asleep.

“She has been good to me. Why would I want to leave? It’s safe here.” He yawned. “Besides, there’s nothing left for me outside the castle.”

Confused, Rapunzel asked, “Nothing left for you? Varian, what are you talking about? Your father is worried about you!”

Wary of his injuries, he rolled over to face her. His face only showed his own confusion and a slight mistrust of her words.

“My dad is dead,” he said simply, trying to understand what her motive was. What did she want with him? Why would she tell him such a vicious lie? “I saw him laying in a pool of blood. He wasn’t moving.”

“Your father is alive, Varian. He’s injured but he’s alive.” Slipping her hand down to hold his, she tried to explain. A sliver of something was starting to show in the boy’s blank eyes. “He was under an enchantment that caused him to attack anyone not loyal to Zhan Tiri or the Saporians. He attacked Eugene, Cassandra, and I and we had to fight back. Cassandra and I were careful not to hurt him too seriously but we had to do something to stop him.” Taking a deep breath, she looked at the boy. He was now sitting up and hanging on her every word. “Your father has a wound on his side and one on his forehead but he is fine. Cassandra broke the spell while I escaped with you. He is recovering well and just wants to see you again.”

The warrior had told her how she had destroyed the Mind Trap before escaping the automaton. It had released the three members of the Brotherhood and King Edmund from the enchantment, causing all of them to pass out.

As her words processed in his head, his eyes slowly cleared as light came back into them. He struggled to sit up. Seeing his difficulty, Rapunzel released his hand and assisted him.

“I…I need to talk to Zhan Tiri,” he gasped out, fighting to stand up. "She will explain everything." Gently guiding him to his feet, she wrapped an arm around his waist and helped him out of the room. Together they walked slowly back to the grand entryway where Cassandra was still fighting the demon fiercely. “Zhan Tiri!” Varian yelled, gaining her attention.

No longer amused with the warrior, the demon focused on her alchemist and smiled.

“Did you need something, dear boy?”

Glaring, he stepped away from the princess and closer to the demon.

“I want to leave! My father is alive and I want to go back to him! You lied to me!”

Still smiling sweetly at him, the demon walked towards him.

“I never lied to you, sweet boy,” she explained in a kind voice. “I never said anything about him being dead. I only consoled you when you believed that he was. I was not aware of if he was alive or not so I could not tell you that was dead.”

Faltering, the boy took a step back as he stammered, “B-But…but…”

The demon shook her head.

“I don’t want to hear any further about this.” Her tone was stern and her face mirrored her tone. “Do you understand?”

Sighing, the blank look returned to his eyes before the boy’s head drooped.

 _“Yes, Zhan Tiri,”_ he whispered.

The smile returned to her face as she moved close enough to pat the top of his head.

“Good boy,” she praised. “Now why don’t you return to your room? This doesn’t concern you.” Nodding, he left. The two women simply stared as the fight disappeared from the boy as he walked away. He had flipped from willing to fight to leave to meek and wanting to stay. They didn’t understand. Zhan Tiri claimed that she had done nothing to the alchemist but he obeyed her orders without any conflict. “You see?” the demon called, facing the pair. “He truly wants to remain here. If you keep badgering him, he’s going to break more than he already has. I’m doing what I can to help him heal but you both are so determined to set him back.”

Both women were stunned. The demon was trying to help him? That couldn’t be right but they couldn’t figure out what her goal was. What did she want from him?

“We aren’t leaving!” the warrior shouted, fury replacing her confusion. “You say you haven’t done anything to him but that isn’t Varian!”

The smile on the demon’s face turned into a sneer.

“Cassandra, if you keep pushing you may cause harm to the boy you care so much about.” Clenching her hands into fists, they heard a sharp cry come from the direction Varian had gone. “Oh dear,” she murmured. “Whatever could that have been?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what could have happened...


	30. Powers combined

Hearing the cry, Cassandra tore up the stairs and toward the hallway that Varian had headed down, pushing Zhan Tiri out of her way. Rounding the corner, she froze.

“Varian!” The boy was standing in the middle of the hallway, a sharp, block rock piercing his wrist and trapping him. “Don’t move!”

She took a step toward him but he flinched and tried to move away, crying out again as the rock shifted in his wrist.

“Stay away from me!” he yelled, fear evident on his face. He knew Cassandra had the ability to use the rocks but he didn’t know why she would suddenly use them on him. Back in the tower, she had used the rocks to scare him or help him. She had never once hurt him with them. Why would she now? He didn’t know and the uncertainty made him scared of the woman.

Behind her, she heard a gasp and turned to see Rapunzel standing at the entrance to the hall with her hands over her mouth while Zhan Tiri was beside her, frowning at her.

“Cassandra!” she called in a scolding tone. “Why did you do this?” The warrior sputtered, trying to explain that she had found him in that situation. Ignoring her, she walked over to the boy, gently removing his wrist from the tip of the rock. “Oh dear. This does not look good.” The roll of bandages was pulled from her pocket and she quickly wrapped the wound. Once she finished, she stepped between Varian and Cassandra. “I must ask that you leave before you injure him any further.”

“But I didn’t!” she shouted, focused on the hurt and mistrust shining in his watery eyes. “I can’t even use the black rocks anymore! Only you can!”

Shocked, Varian stepped away from the demon as he tried to determine who was telling the truth.

“Zhan Tiri…?” he asked warily.

Turning to face him, she smiled.

“Do not listen to Cassandra. She is willing to say anything to trick you.” She reached out to touch his uninjured arm. “Remember all the lies she has already told you.”

Varian didn’t know what to believe. It was true that Cassandra had lied to him before but she had never hurt him. Zhan Tiri had taken him away from Cassandra and allowed Andrew to hurt him but was willing to teach him and protect him which she had done already. She was far better at that than either of the young women standing across from him.

Confused, he dropped to his knees and tried to decide who he should ally himself with. Both Cassandra and Zhan Tiri had positive and negative factors. He considered Rapunzel. The princess had failed him in the past but she had tried to be better for him. She had tried to rescue him from Cassandra twice, succeeding in getting through to her the second time. She had also rescued him from Andrew in the automaton. Not only that, but she told him how his father was worried about him, that he was _alive_. Reaching a conclusion, he carefully pushed himself to his feet and started walking toward the princess.

“I want to go home,” he whispered, focused solely on the kind face of the woman. “I want to see my dad.”

A soft smile crossed Rapunzel’s face as she watched him approach her. Over his shoulder, she noticed the demon’s face twist into a sneer. Raising her hand, she summoned rocks that tripped the boy and crafted a tiny cage around him. The cage was so small he had to kneel inside to avoid the sharp points at the top while the sides pressed against him tightly.

“You will stay here,” she declared, stalking toward him. “I’ve already told you, you are _mine_.”

Concerned, the princess rushed forward.

“That’s enough, Zhan Tiri! Let him go!”

The demon glared at her, standing beside the cage. Terrified eyes watched her closely as the alchemist attempted to free himself. A sharp look was shot at him and he froze, trying to appease her.

“I will let him go when _I_ choose. If you want me to choose this moment, you must give me something as valuable as he is.”

“W-What do you want?” she asked slowly, worried about the answer.

“I think you know, _Sundrop_.”

Taking a step back, Rapunzel placed a hand over her chest. Zhan Tiri already had the Moonstone. If she received the Sundrop as well she would be nearly impossible to overpower. Glancing at Varian, she saw the pleading in his eyes and knew she had to do something. Varian had been dragged all over the kingdom, being used and abused. He deserved better.

“Tick tock, Sundrop,” Zhan Tiri taunted, shrinking the cage around Varian and causing him to groan in pain.

“Fine,” she murmured. “You win.”

Both Cassandra’s and Varian’s eyes widened in shock as they tried to reach out toward her. They could only watch as she wrapped her hair around Zhan Tiri’s wrists.

“Don’t!”

“Rapunzel, it’s not worth it!”

Focusing on her power, she allowed it to flow through her hair and into the demon. Her hair slowly turned brown until it reached the very tips. Gasping, she dropped to her knees as the demon grinned above her.

“Finally!” she cried. “I have the powers of both the Sun and the Moon!”

Trying out her new powers, she allowed more black rocks to burst through the floor which she shattered. Not paying attention to what she was doing, she smashed the cage imprisoning Varian. The blast that destroyed the cage also crashed into Varian, knocking him out. Darting forward, Rapunzel scooped him up and fled the castle. Cassandra was only steps behind her, an eye still keeping a close watch on the demon as they ran. The pair managed to escape to the courtyard but black rocks erupted from the ground, blocking their exit. Spinning around they saw a monstrous figure forcing their way out of the castle. Startled by the sudden change in the demon, Rapunzel held Varian tighter as Cassandra pulled her sword out and stepping in front of the pair. She would protect them both, no matter the cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will they finally keep our boy safe?


	31. The fight for our lives

“Give me my alchemist!” the demon roared, landing in the courtyard. Her form now towered over them, a huge dark shadow with curled horns protruding from her head. She stalked toward them, forcing the women to step back. Rapunzel tightened her grip on the unconscious boy while Cassandra pointed her sword at the demon. “I will not allow you to have him!”

Thinking quickly, Rapunzel tried to figure out how they could both protect the alchemist while keeping him safe from the possessive demon.

“Sunshine!” Looking over her shoulder, she noticed Eugene standing just on the opposite side of the black rocks, peering between the gaps. “Where’s Varian?”

She gently lifted the boy high enough for him to see.

“Watch out!”

Focusing on the demon again, the princess realized that Zhan Tiri was only feet away. Between them, Cassandra was furiously swinging her sword at the demon. A few of her hits were landing but many were dodged. Each dodge brought the demon closer to the small group. Growing increasingly frustrated, the demon decided to swipe her claws at the warrior, three deep gouges left on her torso and knocking her to the ground. No one stood between the demon and the alchemist anymore so Rapunzel twisted her body, trying to protect him herself.

“Give him to me!” she screamed, reaching towards the boy she believed to be hers.

Rapunzel backed up until she hit the rocks keeping her in the courtyard, attempting to avoid the reaching fingers.

As the demon was inches away from touching his shoulder, Cassandra leapt to her feet. Slashing her sword upwards, the warrior severed the demon’s wrist. She didn’t even blink as the massive hand crashed to the ground beside her.

“Now you and Varian are even,” she growled. “Don’t touch my kid!”

Snarling, the demon reared back, clutching her wounded wrist to her chest.

“You will pay for that!”

Before either woman could move, the demon’s other hand swept forward and raked across the warrior’s torso once again. Blood poured from the wounds and she dropped the ground again, gasping. Red stained the ground around her as she went motionless, eyes staring blankly at nothing.

Concerned for her old friend, Rapunzel hefted Varian over the sharp points so Eugene could hold him. Once he was out of harm’s way, she sank to her knees and grabbed her Cassandra’s arm. She shook her harshly, trying to rouse her but she didn’t move.

Furious, the woman jumped to her feet, glaring fiercely at the demon.

“You think you are so powerful!” she yelled, eyes blazing with fury. “You think you have complete control over both the Sundrop and the Moonstone but you have control of neither! Cass mastered the powers of the Moonstone and I mastered the powers of the Sundrop! We spent weeks and years learning to use the power of each of them! You think you can just take both and instantly know how to use them!” Moving closer, the anger next left her eyes. “If you are so powerful, so knowledgeable about the world, then you should be able to handle the power of both of them! Do what neither of us could do! Combine the Sundrop and the Moonstone! Show us just how powerful you are!”

Trying to determine what her goal was, the demon took a step back. She knew that no one knew what would happen if the two powers were combined. Was it even safe to do so? What would happen to her? She wouldn’t let the princess get to her.

“If you combine them and master their powers, then Varian will never want to leave you! He will want to learn all he can from you and if he ever tries to leave, you will be powerful enough to keep him where you want him! He left you because you were too weak to keep him!”

Roaring in fury, the demon focused on combining the powers of the two mystical artifacts. She would show the insufferable princess how powerful she was and teach her a lesson. Perhaps she would kill her as well since she no longer needed her. If both the princess and the warrior were dead, would Varian even desire to leave her?

Sneaking back to the black rock barrier but keeping her front to the demon, she whispered, “Run” to Eugene. “I’ll be right there.”

Trusting his girlfriend, the captain turned and dashed away from the courtyard, heading for the forest clearing where the others were waiting. Keeping a close eye on the demon, Rapunzel kept backing up as the rocks blocking the exit disappeared. The demon began to glow brightly, confusion crossing her face.

“What is happening?!” she demanded, eyes locking onto the retreating princess. “What have you done to me?!”

The light grew brighter and brighter, Rapunzel breaking into a run as she darted a safe distance into the town. When the light was too much for her eyes, she covered them and held her breath. A blast of energy burst from the demon and when she opened her eyes, she saw the hulking figure was gone. Peering around, she noticed that all the black rocks were as well. Careful creeping back to the courtyard, she saw that the demon had vanished, a shining stone left in her place. Grasping it in her hand, she felt power flow through her body. The blonde color returned to her hair and the stone absorbed into her skin as she held it. The powers of both the Sundrop and the Moonstone swirled in her chest, hinting at the power she could now wield. She could feel the power to heal and the power to hurt fighting for dominance only momentarily before they settled into a harmony that begged her to utilize. Spotting the lifeless body of her old best friend laying in the courtyard, she focused on the power to heal that she was so used to wielding.

A shuddering gasp left the warrior’s mouth and she ran to her side, tears springing from her eyes as she realized she was alive.

“It’s over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There should be one chapter left.
> 
> This chapter was the hardest for me to write. I had plenty of notes written about Cass and Varian but basically none for how to defeat Zhan Tiri. My notes literally said, "They defeat Zhan Tiri???'. I had hoped I would figure it out before I got there and could fill that out some more but nope!


	32. Moving Forward

The castle was in ruins yet the occupants still returned. It had been torn apart before and they had put it back together so they could do it again. Most of the residents had come back to town and were wearily repairing their homes and businesses. Some volunteered to help restore the castle and renovations had already begun. The injured were returned to the infirmary to be tended to by the healers while guards stood watch at all the entrances. Cassandra had walked herself down to the dungeons and willingly entered the remaining cell. She knew she had committed a long list of crimes against the kingdom and was ready to pay for it.

Rapunzel allowed her parents to lead the restoration while she tried not to collapse under the weight of everything that had happened in the past few months. Instead, she split her time between laying silently in her room and sitting at Varian’s bedside. Quirin had returned to the infirmary, not because of any injury but to stay by his son. All those in the room recognized him after Lance had explained who he was. Nearly a week had passed since they had defeated Zhan Tiri but he had yet to open his eyes. The healers had said that he would wake eventually. It seemed that his body was taking its time to heal mentally before he would wake. Quirin had barely left his side since he had been brought to the castle, determined not to be away from him again.

As Rapunzel was lying face down on her bed, Eugene entered the room. All he said was, “He’s awake.” At those words, the princess jumped to her feet and dashed to the infirmary. Bursting inside, she hurried to Varian’s bed to see him sitting up with his father supporting him. As she approached, she could see that his eyes were still blank and unfocused. His father was trying to speak to him but he wasn’t responding. Placing her hand on his shoulder, Rapunzel drew the large man’s attention to her.

“Why don’t you rest, Quirin? I’ll watch over him.”

The man opened his mouth to argue but decided not to speak back to the princess. Facing his son, he whispered, “I’ll be back soon, Varian. The princess would like to talk to you.”

The boy didn’t move as Rapunzel took the farmer’s seat.

“It’s nice to see you, Varian,” she began, smiling at him. He didn’t respond. “You’ve been out for almost a week.” She continued, updating him on the repair status of the castle and the town, telling him how citizens were recovering, and just saying anything she could think of as she tried desperately to get the boy to say something. As she ran out of things to talk about, she reached out and gently touched his arm. Flinching violently, he pulled his arm out of her grasp. “Varian,” she whispered, trying to get through to him. “Please, say something. Whatever is on your mind. I’ll listen. I _promise_.”

Turning to stare blankly at the wall, he muttered, “I wish I was just a dumb, normal kid.” Sliding closer, Rapunzel asked why he would want that. “I’m tired, so tired.” Locking eyes with her, the princess could see that just how broken he was, his soul crushed. “I feel like I can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t walk. I’m always going to have to be looking over my shoulder to see who is going to seek me out for their own use next. Everyone wants to possess me, to _own_ me. I’m so tired of it. The Saporians, Cass, Zhan Tiri, even you have sought me so that you can use me for your own goals.” Tears started to slip down his cheeks as he was overwhelmed with spilling the thoughts he had been keeping to himself for weeks. “I hate it. I hate it. I hate it!” More tears burst from his eyes. “I hated the idea of staying with Zhan Tiri and being forced to become her disciple but that idea made me feel safe for the first time in so long. She was a powerful demon and would be able to keep anyone from taking me away again. She promised that I wouldn’t be made to hurt anyone I cared about but she didn’t say if I would be made to hurt other people.” Putting his head in his hands, he murmured, “Now she’s gone. People can get to me again. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I _don’t_. I’d rather die.” Rapunzel froze as she heard him say in a low voice, “I _want_ to die.”

Concerned, she moved closer to him. “V-Varian,” she choked out, terrified of his words. “Surely you don’t mean that?”

“I do though,” he said as he revealed his broken eyes again. “If I die, no one can come after me anymore.”

Pulling him into her arms, she allowed him to cry.

“Varian, Eugene and I will be there for you. I know you’re overwhelmed right now but things will get better. Death is not the answer.” The boy continued to sob into her shoulder. “Varian, I need to tell you something.” Leaning back, he rubbed his eyes with his uninjured hand. “When I asked you to translate the Demanitus scroll, you asked me where Cass was.” At the name, Varian’s breath hitched but he was still listening closely. “I should have told you at the time but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Just weeks before Cass had betrayed me in the Dark Kingdom by taking the Moonstone and the pain of that betrayal was too much for me at the time.” She shook her head, guilt settling heavily in her stomach. “I should have told you anyway. You could have been on the lookout for her and would have known what she had done. If I have told you, she wouldn’t have taken you and manipulated you like that. I couldn’t though. You had liked Cass so much, had looked up to her. I was hoping that you wouldn’t lose that image of her. I was hoping that the two of us could work things out before you had to learn the truth. I lost my best friend that day and I didn’t want you to go through the same pain that I did.” She sighed. “But I didn’t and you went through so much worse pain instead.”

Realizing something, the boy looked around.

“Where is Cass…?”

“She’s in prison,” the princess explained. “She allowed herself to be locked up for her crimes.”

Panic suddenly seized Varian and he tried to force himself out of the bed. Worried, Rapunzel pushed him down gently but he continued to fight.

“I…I need her!” he cried, terrified. “Please! Please, I need her!”

Rapunzel quickly thought it over. The warrior was currently in a cell far below their feet, only about a week into her sentence but Varian’s breathing had picked up and she was worried he would render himself unconscious. Making a decision, she yelled for someone to bring Cassandra to the infirmary. A few guards hurried to the prison and dragged the woman to the room. She was confused as to why she had been taken from her cell until she saw Varian thrashing on the bed. Running to his side, she pushed Rapunzel to the side and started whispering to him in a soothing voice.

When he continued to jerk, she carefully slipped onto the bed and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He yelled but she continued to whisper to him, holding him still. Slowly he calmed down and laid limp in her lap. Letting out a breath, she ran her hand through his hair to keep him relaxed. As she did so, she was careful not to let the manacles around her wrists or the chain between them hit his head.

Shocked by her actions, Rapunzel simply stared at the pair. What had the warrior done? Why had she done it? How had she known to do it? A soft humming reached her ears and she noticed that it was coming from Cass who had a small smile on her face while Varian was asleep in her lap.

“What happened in the tower?” she asked quietly, wanting to understand what was going on.

“Hmm?” Cassandra took her eyes off the boy to look at the confused princess. “Did you not read his journal? He wrote everything in that thing.” She pointed at the bag of his possessions that was on the floor by the foot of the bed. “He explained it better than I can.”

Interested, she pulled the journal out of the bag and started reading it. Almost an hour passed while the pair focused on their previous tasks. A guard entered the room after a short time to keep an eye on Cassandra but he kept a respectable distance.

As she finished reading, she set it down, lost in thought. The way Varian had written about Cassandra confused her. Even in the midst of captivity, he wrote about her in such a caring way. A thought popped into the princess’ head.

“Cass, you called Varian your boy before.”

“I suppose I did.”

“And you both seem to care for each other and look out for each other.” Wondering where she was going with her train of thought, Cassandra met her eyes as she continued to soothe Varian. A few minutes passed before the princess finally said what was on her mind. “Cass, I have a deal that you might be interested in.”

“Oh?”

“I want you to be Varian’s personal guard.”

Cassandra paused, trying to figure out what she meant.

“You want me to be what?”

“Varian’s guard.” Taking a deep breath, Rapunzel looked down at Varian. He was asleep and seemed far more peaceful than he had when he had been awake. The warrior had easily been able to calm him down, leaping into action when she noticed what was happening. “Varian…Varian isn’t in a good mindset right now. I think it would help him quite a bit if you stayed by his side so he would feel safe. Another guard would accompany you since you are still a criminal but you could work off your sentence by protecting Varian instead of sitting in a cell. How does that sound?”

The warrior was skeptical.

“Aren’t you worried that I’ll try to kidnap him again?”

Shaking her head, Rapunzel replied, “No. You did that before and even though you didn’t treat him too badly, you still felt horrible about it and were willing to release him. You were going to destroy all the weapons he had made for you and were going to bring him back to his father.” A small smile appeared on her face as she gently touched the warrior’s shoulder. “And even if I was worried before, I couldn’t be now. Not after I watched you _die_ to protect him. Varian will be safe around you.”

The two discussed the arrangements and she asked Eugene to explain it to the guards while she told her parents what she had done. They weren’t keen on the idea but were willing to trust her and allowed her to continue. Cassandra stayed at Varian’s side with a guard always in the room with her. Quirin returned shortly after Rapunzel had departed and was furious that she had been allowed to be anywhere near his son. He had shouted and tried to force her out of the room but when he woke Varian and he began panicking, he changed his mind. The way the warrior had run to his side, ignoring his yells and his fists, quietly soothing him had shown him that she had changed her ways. That his son would be safe around her and that someone would be able to comfort him when he couldn’t. He granted her permission to become Varian’s guard and finally allowed himself to get some quality rest.

When Varian had healed enough that he could leave the infirmary, he returned home with Quirin. After months away from his father, he was eager to spend time with him. Cassandra and a guard followed and moved into a spare room in Quirin’s home. Rapunzel had been sad to see him go but understood his reasons and promised to visit whenever she could. Gradually life returned to normal and peace reigned over the kingdom once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter. Things have been busy in my life and I wanted to make sure I took the time to make this chapter exactly as I wanted it. It ended up being twice as long as usual for the grand finale.
> 
> So as I've said before, this story took a hard turn from the original outline. I had planned for our girl Cassie to the villain until the end but she decided to become the Mama Cass that we've all gotten to know and I just had to let her steer the story. Now, here we are at the end of the story that is ten chapters longer than originally planned.
> 
> My original notes had this written under the last chapter: "Cass goes to jail like she SHOULD and Varian gets help." I think she got off too easy in the show so I was planning to fix that but look what happened. Let me know if you think her ending was fair or not.
> 
> Last, I may consider a short sequel that focuses on Varian's healing but I haven't decided so don't hold me to that.
> 
> It's been wonderful writing for you all. I hope you've enjoyed!


End file.
